Montana Economic Development

"From Montana’s point of view, why are they letting them spend public dollars for this (subsidies) when they could be funding schools or roads or lowering taxes on all businesses?" he asked.

Not only does Big Sky EDA create a lot of jobs and generate new business in the community, it also generates a net increase in tax dollars that support local government, according to a local economist.

The company is aimed at matching companies eager to leave California with communities in the Plains and Northern Rockies states eager for jobs.

The state, with a population of just under 1 million people, has about 150 economic development organizations in cities, towns and regions, all more or less competing with each other to attract jobs. And that doesn’t count all the federal programs funneling money to scores of Montana businesses.

To try to create more jobs and better-paying jobs in Montana, six proposals for using Montana University System resources will be presented this week to legislators and the state Board of Regents.

For more information on the trade mission, visit http://www.mwtc.org or call (406) 243-6982. MWTC is a nonprofit organization that helps Montana businesses establish and strengthen their international commercial capabilities.

Saving a local company can be just as important to the community as bringing a new company to town

Inside was a story declaring Missoula as the No. 1 small town in the nation. And the photo over the story was a view of the city with a paraglider flying off Mount Jumbo – a paraglider with Mayor Kadas attached. "It continues to reinforce that we are nationally known and will continue to be nationally advertised," Kadas said. "I think it’s a real mix of factors. There are natural amenities that bring a lot of value, and when you mix that with the university, and a functional and dynamic downtown, a good K-12 education system and relatively low unemployment, that combination makes things work."

The Bresnan deal marks the first time that private money raised through the Big Sky EDC has been used to attract new business to Yellowstone County. Big Sky EDC, a private, non-profit corporation, was formed in 2002 as a way to supplement local taxpayer-supported economic development efforts through the county’s economic development agency, Big Sky Economic Development Authority.

Richland County is one of two Montana counties which has opted out of a partnership to form the Certified Regional Development Corp., which replaced the Montana Certified Cities Program in the 2003 legislative session, and is now dividing the $425,000 among 12 regional partnerships in Montana that was once divided among 76 communities.