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7 LONG TITLE
8 General Description:
9 This joint resolution of the Legislature encourages business expansion and development
10 in rural Utah.
11 Highlighted Provisions:
12 This resolution:
13 ▸ encourages the creation of 25,000 new jobs over the next four years throughout 25
14 rural counties;
15 ▸ encourages collaboration and partnership to address economic barriers and
16 pro-business strategies in rural Utah; and
17 ▸ urges businesses to consider the advantages of expansion into rural counties.
18 Special Clauses:
19 None
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21 Be it resolved by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
22 WHEREAS, the Governor's Office of Management and Budget has projected an
23 obtainable goal of creating 25,000 new jobs over the next four years throughout 25 rural Utah
24 counties;
25 WHEREAS, a blossoming, strong rural economy is beneficial for each county, the
26 entire state, the citizens of Utah, and the greater economy;
27 WHEREAS, the state's economy is only as strong as its weakest county, and economic
28 prosperity will not inevitably trickle down from the Wasatch Front to rural communities in
29 Utah;
30 WHEREAS, Utah has received continued recognition and honors for its healthy and
31 robust economy, management of the state, being pro-business, and having a technology
32 concentration and dynamism;
33 WHEREAS, the potential to build Utah's strengths and develop an economy for the
34 future to enhance the nation's most dynamic economy will not be reached without established
35 and prolonged economic development in rural communities of the state;
36 WHEREAS, Utah's rural areas offer essential commodities, recreation and commercial
37 activities, and natural resources, such as energy, agriculture, and mineral resources, that can
38 provide economic benefits to the state;
39 WHEREAS, existing tax credit programs and grants provide lucrative incentives for
40 infrastructure development and companies in rural Utah to further promote business and
41 economic development;
42 WHEREAS, business expansion into rural Utah may ease pollution and traffic
43 congestion along the Wasatch Front, while strengthening rural economies and providing
44 families with opportunities to raise their children in a scenic rural environment;
45 WHEREAS, distributing Utah's workforce to encompass rural communities can lessen
46 the impact along the Wasatch Front when an industry in the state's diverse and dynamic
47 economy encounters hardships;
48 WHEREAS, rural communities throughout Utah offer hardworking candidates for
49 employment, and businesses should consider hiring remote rural employees; and
50 WHEREAS, rural prosperity must be actively sought through collaborative efforts
51 between business, state, and county leaders to foster a pro-business and infrastructure
52 development friendly environment, with special consideration given to the core rural counties
53 that have not been experiencing significant growth:
54 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of the state of Utah
55 encourages business expansion and development to be the driving economic forces in rural
56 Utah and supports and encourages the creation of 25,000 new jobs over the next four years
57 throughout 25 rural counties.
58 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature of the state of Utah encourages
59 state agencies to work in partnership with county and local officials, rural leaders, and
60 businesses, to create strategies for addressing economic barriers and encouraging business
61 expansion and growth in Utah's rural communities.