Madison County discusses vision for 2020
REXBURG, Idaho (KIFI/KIDK) - City and county leaders in Madison County are taking the year 2020 as motivation to look at the new year with a clearer vision.
Rexburg Mayor Jerry Merrill, Sugar City Mayor Steve Adams, Madison county commissioner Jon Weber and Idaho's Department of Commerce director Tom Kealey discussed the vision for the area.
A hot topic during the breakfast was the 2020 Census. It will be available to fill out starting March 12.
Mayor Merrill expressed the importance of the report and how the city has been undercounted in the past.
"A lot of the funding that we get from federal and state sources comes based on your population. So, you know, we figure if we're undercounted by a couple of thousand people that's millions of dollars over the course of 10 years until the next Census that we miss out on and state and federal funding," Merrill said.
As the area continues to grow so does the number of projects around the county. Things like new frontage roads, bridges, a centralized DMV in the plaza where Albertsons is in Rexburg and even a new landfill that will be shared with Clark, Fremont and Bonneville county.
"These projects are in the works and probably two, three, to five years to get things accomplished before you actually see the actual product," Commissioner Weber said.
Kealey shared where the state stands in comparison to others and our opportunities to grow.
"Three big areas, agriculture, the advanced manufacturing, which is broad and encompasses a lot of different companies, tourism, and travel, which we oversee and then innovation and keeping cutting edge if we can across the state," Kealey said.
As the area grows, the state keeps one important goal in mind according to Kealey, "Make certain we create opportunities in the state, where children can stay for those that have left and come in come back and our grandchildren will have opportunities as well."
