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Draft <br />2/23/2017 <br />The foundation of the Washington County Economic Development Plan is the policy and <br />guiding principles that drive the economic development goals, strategies and actions of the <br />County. The following policy statement and guiding principles define the County's economic <br />development efforts. These guiding principles are relevant for the present economic <br />environment and are subject to review and change on a periodic basis. <br />Economic Development Policy Statement <br />It is the policy of the Washington County Board of Commissioners to increase the County's role <br />and support of economic development within the County. The County will invest staff time and <br />financial resources in a planned, coordinated and strategic manner and will engage in a <br />collaborative and holistic approach to economic development. The County's policies and actions <br />will be guided by the following principles. <br />Economic Development Guiding Principles <br />The following principles are not in rank order of importance. <br />• The private sector is the lead that drives the economy <br />o The County will work in partnership with the private sector <br />• The County will not duplicate or replace the work of cities and other public agencies <br />o The County will work in collaboration with cities and public agencies and will <br />provide leadership where the County can make the most difference when asked <br />• The County supports a strong collaborative approach to economic development <br />o No matter the location, economic development is a benefit to the entire county <br />o Support efforts to ensure a highly skilled workforce and adequate workforce housing <br />• Business attraction and business retention are essential policy objectives <br />o A balanced approach to pursue each of the two policy areas is required <br />• The diversity of the County requires an adaptable and open-minded approach <br />o The distinctive qualities of the County require flexibility <br />In order to achieve the goals previously identified, several opportunities and challenges were <br />identified in order to inform future action steps. <br />