Several Posters have made excellent philosphical points.

When talking expansion there are two different things at work here, the Business part which the last poster has very well talked about and the Personal Home Tax base that also makes the City larger, the More of these Outlying areas that are in the city the More Personal Tax Revenue the city gets, we also are well aware of the needed Influence in many areas the city would have when expanding the city limits.

The Business part set aside for just a second.

Recently some homeowners approached the city to bring their area into the city limits, very rarely do we have willing people who are requesting they come into the city. The area I understand has several homes in the Upper price range of Property Evaluation and could have been a Gold Mine of extra tax base and influence for the city.

The City should have been ready with a Slick Package that Clearly Stated the advantages of being in the city and the steps the residents and city must take to make this happen, there is always a Window of Opportunity in Business Or Personal life that Opens and Closes, the city has not followed up on this Super Opportunity and have not been aggresive in pursuing this Chance at Annexation with Willing residents.

The Window is now Closing and this Opportunity may not come around for another 20 years, be on the Aggresive in for goodness sakes if you want to expand the city!

Corbin

Why was Corbin changed to a forth class city?

Who were these homeowners that approached the city? When did this happen? Was it at a commissioner meeting?

It is good to see this discussion about Economic Development. I don't have all the answers but in over 40 years of corporate life I have a few ideas

1. Our advantages include our location near I-75 and Cumberland Falls with good transportation by road and rail, low business costs, available and competitive energy and water quality, excellent educational systems at all levels, good quality medical care, active civic clubs, diversity in our churches, and a beautiful outdoors. We also have two business parks with low priced real estate available.

2. Why do some companies choose to not come to Corbin and the Tri-County area? Our Regional Park does not have a rail site availability at the Park. Many large companies, manufacturing and distribution, require rail service in and out. There was a cooperative effort made to get a rail/truck Intermodel near CSX in Corbin or at the area of the American Greeting Building but it was awarded to Somerset. The older Tri-County Park has a road project that has been in an incomplete condition for over two years. Knox County selected the contractors to do this job and the $850,000 Federal Grant was used up before any of the road was finished in grading and gravel, and none of the road has be surfaced. I understand it will take $500,000 more to complete it. It makes it difficult to show sites in the middle of the Tri-County park with this incomplete road. The connector road from Rt.6 in Woodbine will come thru the west side of the Regional Business Park and connect with the bypass but it may not be started and completed for another six years. The bypass needs to be a four lane road. Only three intersections have a turn lane--at the entrance to EKU, the entrance to CTA/Pepsi, and to SEI/TECO Energy.

3. Laurel County/London have worked together to get jobs. They agreed on how to share the occupational taxes without having a messy legal battle the way Knox County/Barbourville worked out their agreement. Corbin has been frozen out of the Knox County Occupational Tax that is collected from Corbin businesses and people who work in Corbin/Knox County. Corbin is a low priority of the Knox and Whitley County Fiscal Courts.

4. The Regional Park in Corbin, Knox County has six counties included--Bell, Clay, Knox, Laurel, McCreary, and Whitley. The older Tri-County Park includes Knox, Laurel, and Whitley. London and Laurel County only have to work on projects in London and have control over the program because they own some of their own sites. We have more complexity in coordinating among more counties and cities. The two parks in Corbin/Knox County should be merged into one Industrial Park. Much of the land is not prepared for a company to come in and quickly start construction.Since these parks were started the heavy majority of costs have been absorbed by Corbin.
Finally at the end of 2004 Corbin was included in the Occupational Tax that comes from the companies in the Regional Park. Corbin now receives $48,000 or 10%, whichever is greater from 2005-2009, and a flat 10% each year after 2009.

5. London/Laurel County can get the same state incentives for projects on their land that we get in our two state Industrial Parks. That is reasonable. Laurel County/London have, I understand, used very effectively some of their occupational taxes to gain new jobs. Corbin also has offered new companies in our Regional Park a start up incentive that will forgive 50% of their property and inventory taxes for five years. This is not giving up any taxes we are already receiving, but is done to help offset some of the relocation costs is establishing a company in a new area. The American Greetings Building, NCR, and old CTA building would not have been built if it had not been for Corbin's Mayors and Commissioners who made it possible for water and sewage services being made available to that area of Laurel County. From the time those companies were started until they discontinued Corbin never got a penny of tax dollars from them. They all went to Laurel County. It was a huge loss when these companies closed. Fortunately Classic Vaults is now in the NCR Facility, Kentucky Cabinet in the American Greetings building, and CTA is in the Regional Park.

6. One important priority in Economic Development is to maintain a close relationship with companies that are already here. Many of our companies have expanded and added jobs in recent years. Mayor McBurney is already meeting with some of these business leaders to get to know them and to assure that they will communicate any problems they may have. Whitley County, primarily because of Corbin, reached a new level in reducing unemployment. Corbin moved into a different category and is no longer eligible for the KREDA program which is the most lucrative State Incentive program. We are now in the same category as Laurel County. There are still some good incentive programs available for us. We ranked tied for 8th in the State in adding more jobs in 2005.

7. Another key action is to encourage small companies to start and to provide them guidance and access to expertise that will help them be successful. In late 2004 one of the best meetings we conducted was with nine start up companies. We brought in a representative from Economic Development in Frankfort, from several financing sources, from EKU Small Business Office that can help with developing a business plan, training sources, and an experienced business person to give them some of his reasons for success. Several of these small business operations have had excellent growth.

8. This website, www.corbinkentucky.us, was started and is owned by my son. This site gets 1,000 visits a day on average. It contains segments on Economic Development, Tourism, community activities, education, medical services, and other subjects. This is a vehicle to promote and advocate Corbin and the Tri-County area as a good place to live, work, raise a family, worship, and enjoy a good quality of life. Take a look at this material sometime and email the site and let Bob know if there are any other things he should include.

9. Econonomic Development takes all of us to work together to promote our community. I believe we now have a Mayor who can represent us with any large or small business leader.

10. It was suggested that insurance may be taxed too much. There needs to be another competitive survey made to see how we stack up with other communities. Our business license fees need to be reviewed again as well.

11. I will leave it up to our City leaders to determine whether or not a consulting firm is needed to sell our community. My opinion of consultants is that you need to have a very specific requirement for their services.
The Kentucky Economic Development Cabinet is also supposed to bring prospective companies to visit the Business parks.

12. Last, what can we do to help ourselves? We need to get more people in the City of Corbin and build our strength with State Leaders. If we had 15,000 to 20,000 people in the City of Corbin we would have the same clout as Georgetown, Danville, and other more highly respected communities. We have to help ourselves. The further a person lives from their courthouse the less service and support they receive. The people in Corbin and those close to Corbin need to walk arm in arm to build a strong community. There are 8,200 people in Corbin, and within 5 miles of downtown Corbin there are 33,000 and within ten miles 43,000. For our children and our grandchildren we need to be the best that we can be.

Bob Terrell, Sr.

Thanks for your comments and suggestions. There is a need for a presentation that is accurate and factual on the pluses and the minuses of being annexed into the city. This is a presentation that should not have any spin on it but just the facts so that our people can see for themselves what would be best for them, and for all of us who live in or near Corbin.

I would be glad to work with others on this type of project. People and companies tend to gravitate to places that are on the move. With all the good things we have going on around Corbin, wouldn't it be better to live in Corbin than to be a resident of Whitley or Knox County, the debt driven counties of Kentucky? Whitley County and Knox County would be bankrupt totally if it was not for Corbin. But neither one of them seems to be able to understand that.

Several years ago I put together a 22 point action plan on how Corbin could be an exceptional community. I sent copies to Senator Williams, Congressman Rogers, Mayor Miller, and some other people. I never got any feedback from anyone except Ed McNeel and Don Estep. Sometime soon I may put that plan on this website and get you and others to suggest additions, revisions, and opinions.

When people during their lifetime can be part of an effort to make something very special or better there is a wonderful feeling that you are making things better for those in the future. Some of those people in the future may be our grandchildren, or great grandchildren, or the neighbors children or many others. I wish we could generate this kind of an effort together to make something special happen.

Bob Terrell, Sr.

I like Mr. Terrell's recent quote about being honest about the "pluses and minuses" of annexation. This is a very striking quotation in all of these discussions. And, if further begs simple answers involving recruiting new business:

1. Of all of the businesses that have looked at coming to Corbin, why have not chose to come here? Or, have none even looked at coming to Corbin? The recruiter should ask critical questions whenever they are turned down by new business to try to fix any shortcomings.


2. Use CSX as the example. According to the newspaper, CSX belives the tax burden will outweigh the political benefit. According to Bill Ed Cannon, they have their facts wrong about taxation. That's the last I have seen of this story, since CSX is not annexing into the city, it sounds like their numbers were correct. Can anybody use this as a case study to see what changes could be made to lure CSX into the city limits. Even though they are based in Jacksonville, FL, their are member of local management who a llife long Corbin residents.

Heres another simple question: Do the majority of people in Corbin want more jobs, businesses, growth, etc.., or are they pleased to keep Corbin the way it is and the way it really has been for the last 20+ years? - Who's to say that growth and expansion are indeed good things?

good post. we need people that care about the right things, period, whether is is a political position, a board position, economic development, toursim, whatever.

Are you talking about the site thats been under construction for a year and a half? I think you are talking about the picture on the home page, but it is so small I can't really make out any of it.

WHAT DO THEY HAVE WE DONT,THE RIGHT PEOPLE IN THR RIGHT JOB!

Who do you recomend that should be in the right job? What should their Job Description look like? I'll wait on your response while I am drinking some Coffee.

Give us some real details here, not emotion or better yet your own plan. Sounds like you clearly know the problem and how to fix it. Who are those folks that need to be in the right jobs and we will just give ole Williard McBurney a call and see if we can get them an interview, based on their resume of course, waiting on on your recomendations?

The greater distance it is from your business or home from the County Courthouse, the less support you gain from County Government.  I grew up in Corbin and now live several miles out of Corbin.

I believe there are some strong adventages for people near Cobin to become part of the City.  According to a forecast by the US Census Bureau the Corbin population in 2005 is estimamated to be about 8,250. In the 2000 Census it was about 7,742.  Within 5 miles of Corbin there are an estimated 33,000 people. 

Corbin is the 43rd largest Kentucky city at 8,250 people.  If Corbin had 15,000 people it would be the 27th largest city. If Corbin had 25,000 people it would be the 15th largest city in Kentucky.

We would get much more attention from Frankfort and we would have more influence across Kentucky.  I realize many people do not want to be in a city. However, if we want our young people to have more opportunity for good jobs, and if we want a better quality of life we would have a better chance of getting it. That would put us in the same category as communities such as Georgetown, Danville, Elizabethtown, Richmond, and Versailles. 

Corbin could be one of the best economic communities in Kentucky. People living in the city instead of the county would have better Government.  Everybody has a right to his or her opinion. This is just my opinion.

Bob Terrell, sr.