Had to get it in yet this month . . . just barely. He promised two radical ideas per month. For a while I thought his radical idea was trying to win without raising money.
Brandon Campaign: Zach Brandon unveils Radical Idea #4
1/31/2011‘Joint Opportunity Business Zones’
MADISON – Dane County Executive candidate Zach Brandon today unveiled the fourth in a series of radical ideas designed to change the way Dane County does business.
In unveiling his idea for Joint Opportunity Business Zones (JOBZ), Brandon said, “It is time to look beyond politically determined geographic boundaries and instead act based on our shared needs and strengths.”
“We will either grow cooperatively or we will stagnate while standing guard over artificial economic development borders,” Brandon said. “It is time to move towards regional tax-base sharing to create jobs.”
Radical Idea #4: Create Joint Opportunity Business Zones (JOBZ)
Currently, economic planning in Dane County – where it exists at all – stops at municipal borders. Dane County must instead look for corridors throughout the county where commercial zones can be created that cross municipal lines, to maximize opportunities and efficiencies. These zones will allow for creative sharing of resources to lessen pressure on municipal services and tax revenue. JOBZ would be created for retail, office, commercial and industrial properties, and would be linked to strong job-creation standards. The commercial tax base will be shared among the units using a weighted formula based on each municipality’s investment.
JOBZ also will control sprawl by encouraging development in existing urban service areas, and by establishing an upfront schedule for development. JOBZ will unite different units of government around their shared goal of economic development.
An example of a corridor that would benefit tremendously from a JOBZ designation and thoughtful regionalized planning is the area that straddles the City of Madison, the Town of Madison and the City of Fitchburg boundaries, and includes parts of Fish Hatchery Road, CTH PD and Park Street.
In addition, the developing debate regarding the City of Stoughton’s plan for future development of the Hwy 51-138 corridor and the impact on the Town of Rutland’s tax base is a timely example.
Creating a Joint Opportunity Business Zone for that corridor, governed by an inter-governmental agreement, would bring the municipalities to the table in a collaborative, innovative way to spur exciting developments aimed at generating high-quality jobs.
“The Dane County Executive must seek out new opportunities to help our county’s municipalities expand and diversify their tax base,” Brandon said. “Employing forward-thinking economic-development strategies to create jobs is essential in meeting that goal. Dane County must be proactive in facilitating truly regional economic development through innovative cooperative agreements among its municipalities.”
Brandon concluded, “Dane County’s local leaders have long discussed the use of tax-base sharing as a vital tool in the region’s future success, but to date, no plan has been proposed. If elected, I will work with key stakeholders to implement this immediately. We must unite around the shared goal of economic development and job creation.”
Brandon has pledged to release at least two radical ideas each month of the campaign and is the only candidate in the race for Dane County Executive sharing specific ideas with the public. On Dec. 20, Brandon proposed streamlining regional planning so that land-use and transportation decisions are not made independently. On Dec. 3, he revealed his idea to “budget for innovation” to reward county staff and contracted agencies for creative, outcome-driven budgeting. And on Jan. 21, he called for a new, meaningful partnership between the Dane County Executive and local human-services providers and advocates.
