Florida Rural Economic Development Summit Kicks Off Focused on Jobs

The Florida Rural Economic Development Summit began in St. Augustine on Thursday morning with leaders grappling with how to prepare the Sunshine States 32 rural counties for the new economy.

Most of the states 32 rural counties -- those with less than 125,000 population and with an economic base resting on agriculture -- are in the Panhandle and northern part of the state, though there are a handful in the southern part of the state. The following counties fall under that designation: Baker, Bradford, Calhoun, Columbia, De Soto, Dixie, Flagler, Franklin, Gadsden, Gilchrist, Glades, Gulf, Hamilton, Hardee, Hendry, Highlands, Holmes, Jackson, Jefferson, Lafayette, Levy, Liberty, Madison, Nassau, Okeechobee, Putnam, Suwanee, Taylor, Union, Wakulla, Walton and Washington.

Attendees were worried about the continuing struggling economy as rural counties lagged behind the rest of the state in curbing high unemployment -- an issue that was also on the minds of elected officials.

Severe economic issues have dominated news headlines for the last few years as the global recession has called a hailstorm of bankruptcies and bailouts, noted Agricultural Commissioner Adam Putnam in a letter to attendees. With corporate America cutting costs, rural communities have more opportunities than ever before to become beneficiaries of the new economy by offering cost-saving advantages and incentives to struggling businesses.

I am confident our economy will recover with the assistance of rural communities, added Putnam.

This is an important time, insisted Putnam County Commissioner Brad Purcell, chairman of the Small County Coalition. Floridas rural communities have the highest unemployment and have been losing ground on the economic front. Floridas rural officials would gladly fast-track, provide exemptions, help with incentives and, most importantly, provide a welcome community for businesses that provide jobs.