By Stephen Smoot
Once a year, Region Eight holds community gatherings in Moorefield and Keyser to gauge stakeholder assessments on positives, negatives, possibilities, and problems in regional economic development. Prior to starting the discussion, Region Eight representative Ralph Goolsby presents charts gathered by West Virginia University’s John Chambers College of Business and Economics.
These charts lay out demographics, employment, and other economic development information. Sets of data compiled can be used well in conjunction with those of other sources, such as the United States Census Bureau.
Census Bureau estimates put the population of Hardy County at 14,335, an increase of nearly 40 individuals since the 2020 Census estimates of population. Of that population, WVU found that about 6,200 of those people have some form of employment, giving Hardy the highest labor participation rate in the Potomac Highlands with 56 percent on the job. Grant came in slightly behind at 55.1, Mineral at 54, Hampshire at 51.8, and Pendleton at 51.3.
John Deskins of West Virginia University in a West Virginia Executive article from last May explained the Mountain State’s problems with low labor participation. That of the United States itself was calculated in January at 62.5 percent, but Florida, another state with an increasing population of seniors, had a rate of 57.5, two points higher than West Virginia.
Labor force participation rates, Deskins stated “captures the share of the adult population that wants to work, regardless of whether that individual holds a job currently or is looking for employment.” It serves as a “more long-run descriptor of the state’s underlying economic conditions.” Goolsby noted that the region’s high population of seniors relates directly to that statistic across the region.
Deskins reported that while West Virginia’s remained the lowest in the nation, it has increased by two percentage points in recent years with momentum continuing to edge upward to “close the gap” with other states.
Of unemployment, Deskins explained that “a common misunderstanding is that unemployment is a widespread issue in West Virginia. However, that is not the case.” “Unemployment” statistics cover those “without a job and actively looking for work,” a statistic more useful for snapshots of the present than long-term analysis.
West Virginia’s unemployment rate rests below the rate at one time considered “full employment.” That rate was 5 percent, but the Mountain State currently enjoys a 4.4 percent rate. Mineral equals that with Hardy at 3.8, Grant 3.9, Hampshire at 3.7, and Pendleton at 3.6 percent unemployment.
One of the interesting statistical dances of the Potomac Highlands lies in the dance between income levels and the cost of living. Census numbers indicate that Hardy County has a cost of living between 20 and 30 percent lower than the national average, which mitigates somewhat the fact that salaries also fall behind the national average.
In Hardy County, the cost of living for a family of four is estimated by the Census Bureau as being just under $48,000, which is approximately the same as the per capita personal annual income. That said, Potomac Highlands average annual salaries in various economic fields show that they lag between five and 15 percent behind their counterparts across the state.
Costs that contribute to the cost of living include those of housing. The Census Bureau found the median monthly cost of home ownership with a mortgage was about $1,200 and the median rent just above $800. One cost of area living that may not be reflected in the statistics includes an average work commute of 30 minutes, which over time can add up both in gasoline and wear and tear on the vehicle.
Region Eight Brings Together Stakeholders For Economic Development Discussion
Annually, Region Eight Economic Planning and Development brings together stakeholders from across its area counties to gather input about local and regional economic development. These include Hardy, Pendleton, Grant, Hampshire, and Mineral. Meetings take place in both Moorefield and Keyser to grant attendees different times and places in which to join.
According to a Region Eight handout provided at the opening, the meetings contribute to the formation of its Comprehensive Regional Development Strategy. As part of Region Eight’s obligations when receiving grant funding, it must conduct these gatherings. The handout explained that “this document is prepared every five years and updated annually to comply with the Economic Development Administration Act of 1965, as amended, and the West Virginia Regional Planning and Development Act.”
Several representatives came from Potomac Highlands Guild, one of their more robust representations at the gathering in recent years. Others who came included David Workman from the Hardy County Commission, Mallie Combs from the Hardy County Rural Development Authority, Jim Trommater from the Moorefield Town Council, Greg Greenwalt from the Hardy County Planning office, Frank Wehrle, Town of Franklin administrator, Annie Humes, Pendleton County Convention and Visitors Bureau, Hardy County businessman and Development Authority member Robert Williams, Elwood Williams, member of multiple local boards, and representatives from the Seneca Rocks Regional Development Authority, Pendleton County Development Authority, Mon Forest Towns, and others.
From the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection came Samuel Canfield, who often attends Region Eight and local government meetings. Region Eight staff present identified themselves as well.
Melissa Earle, Region Eight executive director, welcomed attendees to “help us with this important process.” She then introduced meeting facilitator Ralph Goolsby, who has run these events effectively in recent years.
Earle concluded with “you will have great input today and we appreciate that you are here for that.” She also noted that the process would help to inform and guide regional economic development strategy.
Goolsby opened by laying out Region Eight’s goal list for the 2025 to 2029 period. They relate to regional quality of life, protecting the regional environmental quality, and “increase the wealth of residents and enterprises.”
Next came a list of stated objectives within those broad goals. These include “develop utilities for long-term growth,” explore alternative utility structures for remote areas, “undertake five projects to extend water or sewer service to underserved areas”, and also promote site readiness for potential incoming investment.
Other objectives include “support enterprise development to create jobs and wealth, support projects that help individuals to compete, and “promote projects we cannot control” in energy, water, and transportation development.
Region Eight also presented a list of active projects that included a Wardensville solar project, Wardensville water project I and II, and Wardensville Community Facility. Goolsby described that these and others “are projects in some form of development” and that there is “a lot of activity that goes on in the region that we are aware of, but not a party of.”
The heart of the meeting has always come in the SWOT brainstorming analysis. In previous years, back into the tenure of former executive director Terry Lively, the facilitator would post on large separate pieces of paper “strengths”, “weaknesses”, “opportunities”, and “threats.” Seeing that many of the same area attributes showed up in the same categories over the years, Goolsby modified the analysis.
He posted last year’s SWOT and asked if any aspects had changed. Discussion followed along these lines, examining each category in its turn. Then attendees were asked to place small yellow dot stickers beside issues they felt were most important in each to give staff an idea of where they rated.
The subsequent gathering was held in Keyser on Tuesday of this week.
