Albemarle County Looking to Propel Economy Forward - NBC29 WVIR Charlottesville, VA News, Sports and Weather

Albemarle County is taking a close look at how to maximize development and attract businesses to the area, but the process has gotten a little heated.

The Albemarle County Board of Supervisors wants to move the county's economy forward, but some worry about looking at the county alone without considering its close partnership with Charlottesville.

Boosting Albemarle County’s economy has become a battle.

“We're at a point now where it's crying for a regional approach,” said Rick Randolph, Albemarle County supervisor.

Monday afternoon, supervisors reviewed stats comparing the county's economy to similar localities, but Randolph says all that data is skewed.

“When we add the city of Charlottesville, I think it changes everything and that's how employers moving in the area look at it. They don't just buy Charlottesville, they buy Albemarle County and Charlottesville,” Randolph said.

If the two localities don’t work together, Randolph said the whole region loses.

“In the long term, guess who loses? The whole region loses because businesses come in and say these two entities can't get along with each other,” he said.

The Economic Development Authority says more manufacturing will help the economy, but Randolph says the Albemarle County first needs to focus on creating jobs for the area's underemployed.

“A workforce that is highly educated and, in most cases, working jobs, earning incomes that are below the national norm based on their educational background,” Randolph said.

“The challenge becomes where and how we can keep that innovation culture here?” said Faith McClintic, economic development director.

McClintic says that’s where manufacturing comes into play.

“They go from being innovators to producers and sellers and that is where locality has a chance to make money and gain the benefits of having them in our specific community through those revenue streams,” McClintic said.

McClintic also says Albemarle County is currently dominated by educational services and that adding manufacturing could help diversify the economy.