One Man, Many Maps
As President of the Dearborn County Economic Development Initiative, Jim West was charged with identifying economic
development opportunities for Dearborn County in rural southeast Indiana.
Jim began by using the County's geographic information system (GIS) to research areas of opportunity. Using parcel
information, aerial photography, sewer maps, flood, transportation and elevation data, Jim identified three areas
that had high potential for industrial development. Each area was eligible to become a Tax Increment Financing
Districts, a major incentive to developers. With this information and maps in hand, the proposed redistricting
was backed by solid, persuasive evidence illustrating the comprehensive benefits to the community.
Results
- Maps were vital in successfully making the case for the new tax districts
- Without GIS tools, the tax districting process would have taken years
- The properties are being marketed to developers with the same maps used to create the tax districts
- The maps were so critical, local government leadership has pledged to continue investing in GIS
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