Community Executive Summary

2005 Annual Report Executive Summary

Southwest Georgia United EZ (formerly Crisp Dooly EC)
Crisp and Dooly Counties are former Enterprise Communities designated as an Empowerment Zone (EZ). Had it not been for this new Round II EZ designation, 2004 would have been the last year of the ten year EC designation period. The two counties have accomplished 88% of the benchmark goals they set for themselves in the Crisp Dooly Partnership Strategic Plan. Other goals are nearly complete or underway. Substantial accomplishments include a successful rural public transportation system, a $2.5 million business incubation facility that has served 153 businesses, more than 1300 new jobs, a new state of the art child care center, a new Family Resource Center in Cordele, a reduced drop out rate and teen pregnancy rate in Dooly County, and a reduction in the number of welfare cases. The counties have generated more than $132 million in federal, state, local, and private funding by using the $12.3 million of federal funding provided through the EC and EZ designations. This is a leveraging ratio of greater than ten to one. The two counties learned several lessons from the Enterprise Community program. First, the $3 million from the EC program was not adequate to carry out the community plans over an extended period of time. The existence of the Empowerment Zone funding – approximately $2 million per year beginning in 1999 – made implementation of the community plan practical. Second, at the current level of subsidy, tax credits alone are not effective in generating community change. Even with effective professional recruiting, the long-term poverty and structural problems in the community greatly reduced the attraction of the area for outside businesses and reduced local businesses ability to expand. Third, professional staff members are a critical factor in Enterprise Community success. The first Executive Director brought his background with the Inspector General's office to bear on establishing community systems. This greatly helped to insure that the community would begin and remain in compliance with federal regulations. Many other staff members have been recruited locally and trained, in order to create a local pool of talent and develop community capacity. Leadership courses, organized by the local Chambers of Commerce with EC and EZ support, play a role in recruiting and training Board members and developing working relationships across local barriers. There have been distinct physical changes in the community. New development around several Interstate exits, new industries, and the commitment of local cities to smart growth and improvement would not have been predictable at the start of the process. The community's success in receiving EC funding began a continuing process of self-evaluation and community improvement. The agreement on a common vision and common strategies, while continuing to openly discuss specific tactics, programs, and projects, made it possible to secure local, regional and national resources to meet local needs. Successes in initial goals led to the creation of new benchmarks. One example is when the completion of a plan for a rural public transit system led to a successful search for resources and implementation of the system. Continuing reviews of local programs, including open information and friendly scrutiny, seeks to make them more effective and efficient.