The Economic Survival of America’s Isolated Small Towns PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION AND PUBLIC POLICY A Comprehensive Publication Program EDITOR-IN-CHIEF DAVID H ROSENBLOOM Distinguished Professor of Public Administration American University, Washington, DC Founding Editor JACK RABIN RECENTLY PUBLISHED BOOKS The Economic Survival of America’s Isolated Small Towns, Gerald L Gordon Public Administration and Policy in the Caribbean, Indianna D Minto-Coy and Evan Berman Sustainable Development and Human Security in Africa: Governance as the Missing Link, Louis A Picard, Terry F Buss, Taylor B Seybolt, and Macrina C Lelei Information and Communication Technologies in Public Administration: Innovations from Developed Countries, Christopher G Reddick and Leonidas Anthopoulos Creating Public Value in Practice: Advancing the Common Good in a Multi-Sector, Shared-Power, No-One-Wholly-in-Charge World, edited by John M Bryson, Barbara C Crosby, and Laura Bloomberg Digital Divides: The New Challenges and Opportunities of e-Inclusion, Kim Andreasson Living Legends and Full Agency: Implications of Repealing the Combat Exclusion Policy, G.L.A Harris Politics of Preference: India, United States, and South Africa, Krishna K Tummala Crisis and Emergency Management: Theory and Practice, Second Edition, Ali Farazmand Labor Relations in the Public Sector, Fifth Edition, Richard C Kearney and Patrice M Mareschal Democracy and Public Administration in Pakistan, Amna Imam and Eazaz A Dar The Economic Viability of Micropolitan America, Gerald L Gordon Personnel Management in Government: Politics and Process, Seventh Edition, Katherine C Naff, Norma M Riccucci, and Siegrun Fox Freyss Public Administration in South Asia: India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan, edited by Meghna Sabharwal and Evan M Berman Available Electronically PublicADMINISTRATIONnetBASE http://www.crcnetbase.com/page/public_administration_ebooks The Economic Survival of America’s Isolated Small Towns Gerald L Gordon CRC Press Taylor & Francis Group 6000 Broken Sound Parkway NW, Suite 300 Boca Raton, FL 33487-2742 © 2016 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC CRC Press is an imprint of Taylor & Francis Group, an Informa business No claim to original U.S Government works Version Date: 20150521 International Standard Book Number-13: 978-1-4822-4883-8 (eBook - PDF) This book contains information obtained from authentic and highly regarded sources Reasonable efforts have been made to publish reliable data and information, but the author and publisher cannot assume responsibility for the validity of all materials or the consequences of their use The authors and publishers have attempted to trace the copyright holders of all material reproduced in this publication and apologize to copyright holders if permission to publish in this form has not been obtained If any copyright material has not been acknowledged please write and let us know so we may rectify in any future reprint Except as permitted under U.S Copyright Law, no part of this book may be reprinted, reproduced, transmitted, or utilized in any form by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying, microfilming, and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without written permission from the publishers For permission to photocopy or use material electronically from this work, please access www.copyright.com (http://www.copyright.com/) or contact the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc (CCC), 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, 978-750-8400 CCC is a not-for-profit organization that provides licenses and registration for a variety of users For organizations that have been granted a photocopy license by the CCC, a separate system of payment has been arranged Trademark Notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe Visit the Taylor & Francis Web site at http://www.taylorandfrancis.com and the CRC Press Web site at http://www.crcpress.com The dictionary defines community as a group of people who live in the same area, such as a city, town, or neighborhood, and who have the same interests (www.merriam-webster.com) In seventeen of the fifty-one case studies in this research, the interviewees were asked what lessons they had learned from which others might benefit One-third (seventeen) immediately said that economic growth in a small town is a team sport and that everyone must be in on the planning and execution of the plans This text is dedicated to the elected and appointed officials of America’s small, isolated cities and towns—and all of their neighbors who get involved Indeed, they all have the same interests and they all take part—because they are part of the community Contents Preface .xiii Acknowledgments xv About the Author xvii Introduction Previous Research .1 What Is a Small City or Town, and Who Lives in Them? What Does It Mean for a Small Town to Be Isolated, and Why Is That Important? 14 Selecting the Case Study Cities 17 Similarities and Dissimilarities between the Economic Forces and Solutions Facing Large Cities and Small Towns 35 Fifty-One of America’s Small and Isolated Cities Examined .41 Northwest Region 42 Emmett, Idaho 42 Interview with the Honorable Bill Buttucci, Mayor of Emmett, Idaho 43 Rupert, Idaho .45 Interview with Kelly A Anthon, City Administrator of Rupert, Idaho .47 Lewistown, Montana 50 Interview with Kevin Myhre, City Manager of Lewistown, Montana 50 Lincoln, Oregon 53 Interview with David Hawker,   City Manager of Lincoln, Oregon 54 Ephrata, Washington 56 Interview with Wes Crago, City Administrator of Ephrata, Washington 57 Cody, Wyoming 59 Interview with the Honorable Nancy Tia Brown, Mayor, and Jenni Rosencrance, City Administrator of Cody, Wyoming 60 vii viii  ◾ Contents Douglas, Wyoming 62 Interview with Tony Tolstedt, City Administrator of Douglas, Wyoming 63 North Central 65 Algona, Iowa 65 Interview with Keri Navratil, City Administrator of Algona, Iowa 66 Detroit Lakes, Minnesota .68 Interview with Bob Louiseau, City Manager, and Larry Remmen, Community Development Director of Detroit Lakes, Minnesota 69 International Falls, Minnesota .72 Interview with the Honorable Bob Anderson, Mayor of International Falls, Minnesota 73 Montevideo, Minnesota .76 Interview with Steve Jones, City Manager of Montevideo, Minnesota 77 Holdrege, Nebraska 79 Interview with Robert Rager, City Administrator of Holdrege, Nebraska 80 Sidney, Nebraska 82 Interview with Gary Person, City Manager of Sidney, Nebraska .83 Valley City, North Dakota 86 Interview with David Schelkopf, City Manager of Valley City, North Dakota 87 Great Lakes .89 Carmi, Illinois 89 Interview with Sandra Irvine,  City Administrator of Carmi, Illinois 90 Kingsford, Michigan 92 Interview with Tony Edelbeck, City Manager of Kingsford, Michigan 92 Ashland, Wisconsin .94 Interview with the Honorable Bill Whalen, Mayor of Ashland, Wisconsin 95 Rice Lake, Wisconsin 97 Interview with Curt Snyder, City Administrator of Rice Lake, Wisconsin 98 Northeast 100 Caribou, Maine 100 Interview with Austin Bleess, City Manager of Caribou, Maine 101 Titusville, Pennsylvania 104 Interview with Larry Manross, City Manager of Titusville, Pennsylvania 104 Contents  ◾  ix Southeast 106 Arab, Alabama 106 Interview with the Honorable Bob Joslin, Mayor of Arab, Alabama .107 Hamilton, Alabama 109 Interview with the Honorable Wade Williams, Mayor of Hamilton, Alabama 110 Thomaston, Georgia 112 Interview with the Honorable Hays Arnold, Mayor, and Patrick Comiskey, City Manager of Thomaston, Georgia .113 Kosciusko, Mississippi 116 Interview with the Honorable Jimmy Cockroft, Mayor of Kosciusko, Mississippi 117 Brevard, North Carolina 119 Interview with Joe Moore, City Manager of Brevard, North Carolina 119 Roxboro, North Carolina 121 Interview with Stephen Steese, City Manager of Roxboro, North Carolina 122 Covington, Tennessee 124 Interview with the Honorable David Gordon, Mayor of Covington, Tennessee 125 Lexington, Tennessee 127 Interview with the Honorable David Jowers, Mayor of Lexington, Tennessee .128 McKenzie, Tennessee 131 Interview with the Honorable Jill Holland, Mayor of McKenzie, Tennessee .132 Galax, Virginia 135 Interview with Keith Barker, City Manager of Galax, Virginia 135 South Boston, Virginia .138 Interview with the Honorable Ed Owens, Mayor of South Boston, Virginia 139 Elkins, West Virginia 141 Interview with the Honorable Van Broughton, Mayor of Elkins, West Virginia .142 South Central 144 Pocahontas, Arkansas 144 Interview with the Honorable Frank Bigger, Mayor of Pocahontas, Arkansas 145 x  ◾ Contents Colby, Kansas .147 Interview with Tyson McGreer, City Manager, and Christy Preston, Director of Economic Development, Colby, Kansas 148 Fort Scott, Kansas 151 Interview with Dave Martin, City Manager of Fort Scott, Kansas 151 Charleston, Missouri 153 Interview with Richard Goode, City Manager of Charleston, Missouri 154 Chillicothe, Missouri 157 Interview with Ike Holland, City Administrator of Chillicothe, Missouri 157 Perryville, Missouri 159 Interview with the Honorable Deborah Gahan, Mayor, Brent Buerke, City Manager, and Scott Sattler, Director of Economic Development, Perryville, Missouri .160 Breckenridge, Texas 162 Interview with Andy McCuistion, City Manager of Breckenridge, Texas 163 Elsa, Texas 165 Interview with Joe Contu, City Manager of Elsa, Texas 166 Pecos, Texas .168 Interview with the Honorable Venetta Seals, Mayor of Pecos, Texas 169 West and Southwest 171 Winslow, Arizona .171 Interview with Stephen Pauken, City Manager of Winslow, Arizona .171 Fort Bragg, California 174 Interview with Linda Ruffing, City Manager of Fort Bragg, California 175 Yreka, California 177 Interview with Steve Baker, City Manager of Yreka, California .178 Delta, Colorado 181 Interview with Justin Clifton, City Manager of Delta, Colorado 181 Gunnison, Colorado 183 Interview with Ken Coleman, City Manager of Gunnison, Colorado 184 Lamar, Colorado 186 Interview with the Honorable Roger Stagner, Mayor of Lamar, Colorado 187 230  ◾  The Economic Survival of America's Isolated Small Towns Montevideo, Minnesota • Ensure that there is sufficient housing for workers before talking to businesses about locations Holdrege, Nebraska • Make sure that new growth fits well with the existing community Sidney, Nebraska • Prepare the infrastructure before companies begin to consider locations • Work constantly to ensure strong city–business community relationships • Diversify the local economy as much as possible • Cities either grow or die; there are no other options Valley City, North Dakota • Commercial growth helps cities pay for the growing costs of infrastructure • Get the infrastructure in place before businesses consider locations Great Lakes Carmi, Illinois • Grow small businesses from within your own community; not rely solely on growth from outside Kingsford, Michigan • Act regionally for economic growth • Diversify the local economy Ashland, Wisconsin • Improve services for tourism attraction • Make your city attractive to employers and tourists Rice Lake, Wisconsin • Grow your own businesses from within; you cannot rely solely on growth from outside • State policies need to regard smaller cities distinctly from one another; there is no “one-size-fits-all” solution Northeast Caribou, Maine • Business growth helps to pay for residential public services Titusville, Pennsylvania • Small towns need to produce consumable products; they bring revenue into the city Southeast Arab, Alabama • Grow your own small businesses from within • Communicate your plans to citizens and businesses constantly • Work constantly to ensure strong city–business community relationships Hamilton, Alabama • Economic development incentives are a must for small towns • Prepare the infrastructure before companies begin to consider your city for location Issues for Future Economic Growth, by City and Region  ◾  231 Thomaston, Georgia • Diversify the local economy as much as possible Kosciusko, Mississippi • Communicate with the business community on a regular basis Brevard, North Carolina • Take advantage of the natural resources in your area • Work on retaining existing businesses as you seek to attract new businesses Roxboro, North Carolina • Work to attract smaller companies; larger companies cause more disruption when they relocate away • Work to retain existing businesses • Communicate with the business community on a regular basis • Regionalize economic development outreach • Professionalize the economic development program and make it full-time Covington, Tennessee • Diversify the local economy • Regionalize economic development outreach • Beautify the downtown; it is what potential employers will see Lexington, Tennessee • Prepare the infrastructure before businesses consider locations McKenzie, Tennessee • Work regularly with local businesses and institutions, such as colleges Galax, Virginia • Encourage residents to support local retailers • Work regularly with local businesses South Boston, Virginia • Economic growth requires all of the community working together as a team, including the young and the old • Cities must put things in place for growth before companies will come; exercise patience Elkins, West Virginia • Work regularly with local businesses South Central Pocahontas, Arkansas • Work regularly with local businesses and institutions, such as colleges • Old and young people in the community must work on economic development plans together • Diversify the local economy Colby, Kansas • Prepare the infrastructure before companies consider a location • Communicate and interact with businesses and residents regularly about plans for economic growth 232  ◾  The Economic Survival of America's Isolated Small Towns Fort Scott, Kansas • Beautify the city; employers are looking for attractive locations • Work regularly with local businesses Charleston, Missouri • Grow your own small businesses from within • Beautify the city; employers are looking for attractive locations Chillicothe, Missouri • Retail follows industry; attract employers and the retail will follow Perryville, Missouri • Work regionally to attract businesses Breckenridge, Texas • Beautify the city; employers are looking for attractive locations • Work to retain the existing businesses in the city Elsa, Texas • City services must be responsive to citizens and employers • Beautify the city; employers are looking for attractive locations Pecos, Texas • Attract retail to support business growth • Have the infrastructure in place before companies look for locations South Central Winslow, Arizona • Pursue economic development on a regional basis Fort Bragg, California • Take advantage of natural resources in the area • Have infrastructure in place before businesses consider location • Communicate and interact with businesses and residents regularly about plans for economic growth Yreka, California • Communicate and interact with businesses and residents regularly about plans for economic growth • Diversify the local economy Delta, Colorado • Diversify the local economy • Take advantage of the natural resources in the area • Put the infrastructure in place before companies consider location • Beautify the city Gunnison, Colorado • Put the infrastructure in place before companies consider location Lamar, Colorado • Communicate and interact with businesses and residents regularly about plans for economic growth Issues for Future Economic Growth, by City and Region  ◾  233 Salida, Colorado • Not interested in further growth but, where they are, be careful not to allow growth to alter the quality of life Winnemucca, Nevada • Use economic development incentives to attract employers • Beautify the city Taos, New Mexico • Economic development must be regional • Economic development needs to be a full-time, professional operation • Cities cannot rely on government help; you must it on your own Vernal, Utah • Quality of life is everything • Diversify the local economy There are nine significant responses from the fifty-one interviews to the question about lessons learned The most consistently noted comment is that growth must be considered a team effort in small towns and that every part of the community must be on the team Further, the sentiment was expressed that the team cannot be assembled at the last moment, that is, when a prospective business arrives Rather, the team must be an ongoing group, and that requires regular communication about planning from the city to the business community, residents, and institutions Seventeen individuals made this comment, representing more than one-third of the interviewees The second highest number of lessons offered concerned preparing the infrastructure for future development It is always a conundrum for communities, especially small towns, whether to prepare now in the hopes that a user will someday arrive In the meantime, the city must carry the costs without the benefit of ­revenues from the properties However, to wait until there is an active prospect will likely mean that another location will be more appealing because it is already prepared In this research, fifteen respondents addressed this matter For thirteen of them, the lesson was that you must act before a prospect arrives and the city must simply carry the costs until a user is identified Two others took the more conservative approach and recommended saving surpluses for the inevitable rainy days One of the appeals of small cities to prospective employers is the charm that many such locations have as well as the small town atmosphere many people enjoy As such, it is not surprising that twelve of those interviewed noted that employers want attractive locations for their businesses and their employees, and that makes city beautification projects critical There is no implication herein that the other thirty-nine cities did not consider this as a paramount lesson It may simply imply that they feel their cities already meet the necessary attractiveness standard Eight responses related to the need to diversify the local economy in order to avoid a single business loss from becoming a sudden collapse for the entire economy 234  ◾  The Economic Survival of America's Isolated Small Towns Again, there is no implication that others did not also feel this way; many simply felt that their cities’ economies were already fairly diversified A number of responses can be seen in multiple cities These include the use of the natural resources in proximity to the city for commercial purposes, the use of incentives to attract employers, more regionalized approaches to economic development programs, the focus on retaining existing employers as well as attracting new ones, and the emphasis on growing new businesses from within as a good way to restore a local economy rather than only focusing on business attraction Many of these can make sense for some, though not all, similar communities, depending upon their degree of isolation and the individual circumstances of the communities Bibliography Books Avey, Loren, and Person, Gary 2006 Lynchings, Legends, and Lawlessness: Nebraska’s Original Boot Hill Cemetery Sidney, NE: City of Sidney Carr, Patrick J., and Kefalas, Maria J 2009 Hollowing Out the Middle: The Rural Brain Drain and What It Means for America Boston: Beacon Press Duncan, Cynthia M 1999 Worlds Apart: Why Poverty Persists in Rural America New Haven, CT: Yale Press Huston, Kim 2009 Small Town Sexy: The Allure of Living in Small Town America Lexington, KY: The Clark Group Kageyama, Peter 2011 For the Love of Cities St Petersburg, FL: Creative Cities Productions Lessinger, Jack 1990 Penturbia: Where Real Estate Will Boom after the Crash of Suburbia Seattle: SocioEconomics Lyson, Thomas A., and Falk, William W 1993 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Person, Gary May 1, 2014 Verbal Statement for the Record Presented at US Senate, Agricultural Subcommittee on Jobs, Rural Economic Growth and Energy Innovation, Washington, DC Unpublished Papers City of Taos 2013 Updated Community Economic Development Strategic Plan Taos, NM Gem County March 2010 Gem County Joint Comprehensive Plan: City of Emmett, Idaho 238  ◾ Bibliography Homsy, George, and Warner, Mildred 2012 Defying the Odds: Sustainability in Small and Rural Places International City Managers Association, Center for Sustainable Communities Lambe, Will December 2008 Big Ideas: Case Studies in Small Town Economic Development University of North Carolina School of Government, North Carolina Rural Economic Development Center Miller, Kathleen March 2010 Why Definitions Matter: Rural Definitions and State Poverty Rankings Columbia: Rural Poverty Research Institute, University of Missouri Pulver, Robin et al November 2005 Small Town Fact Book Raleigh, North Carolina: North Carolina Rural Economic Development Center Putting Smart Growth to Work in Rural Communities 2010 International City Managers Association, Smart Growth Network Ricketts, Thomas C et al June 1, 1998 Definitions of Rural: A Handbook for Health Policy Makers and Researchers Washington, DC: US Department of Health and Human Services Woods, Mike D., and Sloggett, Gorden Strategic Planning for Economic Development in Rural Areas and Small Towns of Oklahoma Stillwater: Oklahoma State University, Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources Index A Aikman Corporation, 122 Albany Furniture Company, 137 Algona, Iowa, 65–66, 66–68, 218, 229 Anderson, Bob, 73–76 Anthon, Kelly A., 47–50 Arab, Alabama, 106, 107–109, 219, 230 Arkansas Municipal League, 147 Armstrong Floors, 143 Arnold, Hays, 113–116 Ashland, Wisconsin, 94–95, 95–97, 218, 230 B Baker, Keith, 135–138 Bassett, Ken, 199–201 Bellis, Rick, 195–198 Bethel University, 133 Bevil State Community College, 109 Big-box stores, 3, 12 Bigger, Frank, 145–147 Black Hills, 82, 83 Black Mountain National Park, 182 Black River, 145 Bleess, Austin, 101–104 Blue Ridge Community College, 119 Bold Ideas, 164 Brain drain, from small town America, 5, 49, 109, 112, 154, 206–207 Breckenridge, Texas, 162–163, 163–164, 220, 221, 232 Brevard College, 119 Brevard, North Carolina, 119–121, 219, 231 Broadband capacity, in small towns importance for economic development, 137–138, 204–205 inadequate, 121 infrastructure, 5, 120 issues related to, 11 support for, 55 Broughton, Van, 142–144 Brown, Nancy Tia, 60–62 Business and occupation tax (B&O tax), 143 Buttucci, Bill, 43–45 C Cairo, Illinois, 155 Canada, 96, 102 Caribou, Maine, 100–101, 101–104, 219, 230 Carmi, Illinois, 89–90, 90–92, 218, 230 Casper, Wyoming, 64 Census, Bureau of, 13, 14, 17, 82 Certainteed Gypsum, 121 Charleston, Missouri, 153, 220, 232 Cheyenne, Wyoming, 64 Chickasaw, Native Americans, 109 Chillicothe, Missouri, 157–159, 220, 232 Cities See also Micropolitan cities defining, 204 isolated, 204 outward growth from, 37 Cities, analysis of, 1–2 Clifton, Justin, 181–183 Cockroft, Jimmy, 117–119 Cody Labs, 61, 218 Cody, Buffalo Bill, 60 Cody, Wyoming, 59–60, 60–62, 229 Colby, Kansas, 147–148, 220, 231 Coleman, Ken, 184–186 College of Southern Idaho, 49 Colleges See Higher education, small town America 239 240  ◾ Index Collins Corporation, 122 Colorado Creative Districts, 190 Colt Competition, 164 Comiskey, Patrick, 113–116 Communications importance of, in small towns, 58–59, 109 Community Development Block Grants (CDBGs), 105, 129 Contu, Joe, 166–168 County seats, 70, 145 Covington, Tennessee, 124–125, 125–127, 219, 231 Crago, Wes, 57–59 Cultural opportunities, 134 D Davis and Elkins College, 141 Delta, Colorado, 181–183, 221, 232 Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, 68–69, 69–71, 218, 229 Dickson, Jim, 189–191 Dinosaur National Monument, 198–199 Diversification, 72 Douglas, Wyoming, 62–63, 63–64, 218, 229 Durham–Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 121 Dyersburg Community College, 126 E Eaton Corporation, 121 Edelbeck, Tony, 92–94 Elkins, West Virginia, 141, 142–144, 220, 231 Elsa, Texas, 165–166, 166–168, 221, 232 Emmett, Idaho, 42–43, 43–45, 217, 229 Employers, advantages found in small cities, 205 Ephrata, Washington, 56, 57–59, 218, 229 Extraction economies, 96 F Fairfax County Economic Development Authority, Festivals, small town, 42, 53, 69, 75, 127, 134, 135, 162 Ford, Henry, 93 Fort Bragg, California, 174, 175–177, 221, 232 Fort Scott, Kansas, 151–153, 220, 231–232 Fowler, Craig, 99, 207 Frulact, 48 G Gahan, Deborah, 160–162 Galax, Virginia, 135–138, 219, 220, 231 Georgia Pacific, 121 Ghost towns, 8, 12, 72, 155 GKN Drive Trains, 123 Goode, Richard, 154–156 Gordon, David, 125–127 Grand Coulee Dam, 57 Green Acres, Gunnison, Colorado, 183–184, 221, 232 H Halifax County, Virginia, 140 Hamilton, Alabama, 109, 110–112, 219, 230 Hawker, David, 54–56 Higher education, small town America See also specific institutions of higher learning advantages of, 103 branches of colleges and community colleges, 44, 61, 91, 126, 168 concurrent credits, 81 customized training, 208 economic development, importance to, 38 job training programs, 66, 74, 108, 126, 130, 208 technical programs, 55, 70, 81, 97, 99 visitors attracted by, 97 Holdrege, Nebraska, 79, 80–82, 218, 230 Holland, Ike, 157 Holland, Jill, 131, 132–134 Hopi tribe, 173 Hotel taxes, 55 Hotels/hospitality offerings, 55 Huntsville, Alabama, 108 I Industrial Development Authority (IDA), 161 International City Management Association (ICMA), International Falls, Minnesota, 72, 218, 229 Iowa Lakes Community College, 66 Iron Mountain, Michigan, 93, 94 Irvine, Sandy, 90–92 J Jefferson, Thomas, 145 Johnson, Ronald, Index  ◾  241 Joslin, Bob, 107–109 Jowers, David, 128–131 Judith Basin, 50 K K-Mart, 70, 213–214 Kingsford, Michigan, 92–94, 218, 230 Kosciusko, Mississippi, 116, 117–119, 219, 231 L Lake Superior, 95 Lamar, Colorado, 186, 221, 232 Lannette Pharmaceuticals, 61 Leadership styles, 36–37 Lewistown, Montana, 50–53, 217, 229 Lexington, Tennessee, 127–128, 219, 231 Lincoln, Oregon, 53, 54–56, 217, 229 Locally sourced food, 97 Loring Air Force Base, 101 Louiseau, Bob, 69–71 M Manross, Larry, 104–106 Martin, Dave, 151–153 Mayberry, McCuiston, Andy, 163–164 McGreer, Tyson, 148–150 McKenzie, Tennessee, 131–132, 132–134, 219, 231 Micropolitan cities advantages, 15 characteristics and distinctions, 203–204 disadvantages, 15 economic issues, 16 employment issues, 15–16 examples, 15 governments, local, 37, 39–40 hub micropolitans, 15 interactions within, 38 isolated micropolitans, 15 overview, 14–15 retail issues, 16 sales taxes in, 38 size of, 38 tax base, 37 Microsoft, 58 Montevideo, Minnesota, 76, 77–79, 218, 230 Moore, Joe, 119–121 Moses Lake, 57 Municipal services regional issues, 9, 93 tax policies, relationship between, 9, 10, 13 Murphy, Paula, 212, 213, 214 Myhre, Kevin, 50–53 N NAFTA Treaty, 118 Navajo tribe, 173 Navratil, Keri, 66–68 New York City, Nonmetropolitcan counties, U.S., North Mississippi Medical Center, 109 Northwestern College, 61 O Odessa College, Pecos Center, 168 Owens, Ed, 139–141 Ozark Mountains, 145 P Pauken, Stephen, 171–174 Pecos, Texas, 168–169, 169–171, 221, 232 Perryville, Missouri, 159–160, 160–162, 220, 232 Person, Gary, 83–86 Petticoat Junction, PHG Energy, 127 Pico Corporation, 145 Pisgah National Forest, 119 Pocahontas, Arkansas, 144–145, 145–147, 220, 231 Property taxes, 85 revenue source, 120 R Rager, Robert, 80–82 Randolph County, Arkansas, 145 Raton Range, 16, 212, 213–214 Raton, New Mexico, 16 amenities, 211 decline of, 211, 212, 213–214 Raton Range; see Raton Range recovery, economic, 212 schools, 214 Recessions Great, impact of, 102 impact of, 55–56 Regionalism, 242  ◾ Index Remmen, Larry, 69–71 Research Triangle Park, 122 Retail issues small towns expansion large stores, 3, 4, 12 stores leaving small towns, 16 Revenue diversification, 61, 66 Rice Lake, Wisconsin, 97–98, 98–99, 207, 218, 230 Richmond, Virginia, 135 Rock Island Railroad, 147 Rosencrance, Jenni, 60–62 Roxboro, North Carolina, 121, 122–124, 219 Ruffing, Linda, 175–177 Rupert, Idaho, 45–47, 47–50, 217, 229 Rural America brain drain; see Brain drain, from small town America defining, 11 population, 11 retail expansion, impact on small towns; see Retail issues, small towns value of, Rural Health Initiative, California, 180 S Sales taxes, 90 abatements, 110–111 allocation, 99 collecting, dependency on, 108 increases in, 61, 80 micropolitans, in, 38 redistribution of, 12, 78, 81, 99, 115 revenue source, 3, 8, 38, 55, 62, 64, 80, 85, 90, 99, 111, 118, 179 seasonal, 62 states without, 52, 53 Salida, Colorado, 189–191, 221, 233 Schelkopf, David, 87–89 Seals, Venetta, 169–171 Sheyenne River, 87 Shoshone River, 60 Sidney, Nebraska, 82–83, 218, 230 Small Business Development Center (SBDC), 182 Small town America, 8, 120 See also Micropolitan cities advantages of, 110 appeal of, 5–6, 156 brain drain; see Brain drain, from small town America broadband capacity; see Broadband capacity, in small towns collaborations with others in region, 62, 162 community colleges; see Higher education, small town America diversified economies, 180 diversity, economic issues, 31, 35–37, 38–39 employment in, 4, 5, 12, 39 festivals; see Festivals, small town higher education in; see Higher education, small town America hotels/hospitality offerings; see Hotels/hospitality offerings housing issues, 223 identifying, 17, 24, 26, 31 identities of, 4–5 infrastructure issues, 3, 5, 223 isolation, 8–9, 223 lifestyle, 6–7, 8, 39, 120, 156 misinformation regarding, municipal services; see Municipal services policies, state, impact of, 223 population, 17, 24, 26 preservation, 14 profiles of residents of, 7–8 relationships within, strength of, 144, 169 retail expansion, impact on small towns; see Retail issues, small towns revenue sources, 224 risk aversion, 224 safety, 206 schools and education, 5, tax revenues in, 4, 8, 9–10, 13, 37–38, 223 technology, importance of, Snyder, Curt, 98–99 South Boston, Virginia, 138–139, 139–141, 220, 231 Southern Crescent Technical College, 112 Southern Fried Food and Sweet Tea Festival, 133 Southern Virginia Education Center, 140 Spun Tech, 123 Stagner, Roger, 187–188 Standard Textiles, 114 Steese, Stephen, 122–124 Suburbs outward growth from cities, 37 post WWII boom, 37 Sul Ross College, 168 SWOT analysis, 194 Index  ◾  243 T V Taos, New Mexico, 194–195, 195–198, 221, 233 Technology, in small towns, 204–205 See also Broadband capacity, in small towns Tennessee College of Technology, 126 Texas and Pacific Railroad line, 168 Texas, University of, Permian Basin, 168 Thomaston Mills, 113–114 Thomaston, Georgia, 112, 113–116, 219, 231 Titusville, Pennsylvania, 104–106, 219, 230 Tolstedt, Tony, 63–64 Tourism, 69, 95, 96, 130, 135, 173, 198 See also Festivals, small town Transparency, 153 Tygart Valley River, 141 Valley City, North Dakota, 86, 87–89, 218, 230 Vernal, Utah, 198–199, 199–201, 221, 233 Virginia Tobacco Commission, 137 Vocational schools See Higher education, small town America U Uintah tribe, 198 Underemployment, 148 Union Pacific Railroad, 147 Universities See Higher education, small town America University of Wisconsin, Barron County, 97 W Walmart, 3, 58, 70, 132, 133 West, Steve, 192–194 Western Colorado State College, 183, 185 Whalen, Bill, 95–97 Winnemucca, Nevada, 191, 192–194, 221, 233 Winslow, Arizona, 171–174, 221, 232 Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College (WITC), 97, 99, 207–208 Wytheville Community College, 138 Y Yahoo, 58 Yamaha Music, 114 Yellowstone National Park, 60 Yreka, California, 177–178, 178–180, 221, 232 ... base of these small, isolated cities and towns Who lives in these small towns? As a result of the fifty interviews conducted as part of this research, it appears that many of the residents of these... town and the 8  ◾  The Economic Survival of America's Isolated Small Towns larger urban areas from which they hailed Then, there are the occasional individuals who are there because they married... cities and towns is the small towns that dot the US map As these small towns attempt to build or rebuild their economic bases, what lessons have they learned? What are the common elements of those