Marshall County: Past Development Efforts

Marshall County began their economic development efforts in 1987. The county realized that they needed to focus more efforts on economic issues due to a large population decrease and hard economic times during the 1980s. A series of countywide meetings were held to gather public input toward the formation of a Marshall County Economic Development Committee. A steering committee was formed, and proposed ways to gather funds for the formation of an economic development committee. The funds were gathered, and the Marshall County Economic Development Committee was formed.

The committee began work immediately identifying county strengths and weaknesses. They gathered this information, along with expressed goals and objectives, to prepare Marshall County’s first OEDP document, which was finished in 1994. The plan outlined many goals, which were focused on population increase, planned growth, quality of life, job retention, retail and industrial expansion, community services, and tourism.

Many of the goals expressed in the 1994 plan have not yet been met. County officials hope that with its recently completed zoning ordinance and enacted county-wide zoning, along with the completion of CEDS in 1998 document, that many of the original goals will soon be faced.