Governor Tom Vilsack’s latest economic development idea: take a pot of state money and make a million dollars available to every Iowa county for “quality of life” projects. Vilsack says each county would have to leverage local matching funds to get the money, which could be used for a wide variety of projects.
Vilsack says some counties might want to use the money to build a regional high school, medical clinic or law enforcement center. Vilsack says the state’s Vision Iowa program has been such a success, it’s time to expand to smaller scale projects in all parts of the state. He says he wants to be sure that every community has a chance to take part.
Republican rival Doug Gross says Vilsack’s idea would deplete a state fund that’s set up to clean-up leaky gas and oil storage tanks that’re buried underground. Vilsack says that’s not his intention.
Vilsack says the state would essentially take a second mortgage out on the underground tank fund, similar to how people take a second mortgage out on their house. Vilsack has been unveiling a series of economic development initiatives this week, will reveal what he calls the “crowning jewel” at a news conference in Des Moines tomorrow morning.