BOTETOURT COUNTY, Va. – One local county is celebrating success this week.
At its first-ever State of the County Address, Botetourt leaders said Friday that the county is doing great, and it has more money to spend than ever before.
“This entire year will be a time to celebrate us and our community,” Board of Supervisors chair Billy Martin said.
It was announced on Monday that the county’s savings account has nearly doubled in the last decade to $27 million.
“The county’s financial position is strong and better than most localities,” Martin said.
10 News asked leaders what specifically led to this growth, how people will benefit and how they’ll keep it going.
They said the success comes, in part, from new companies moving in and creating new jobs -- mostly paying above the county’s average wage -- bringing in new residents and leading to more tax revenue.
“We’ve got a lot of new corporations that have come in which has built the base and helped that too,” Martin said.
Some of the successes are Eldor’s car parts manufacturing facility, Altec, which makes truck cranes, and packaging company Pratt Industries.
Plans to add housing continue. Through recent projects like the Daleville Town Center, the county helped add 500 more homes, far exceeding its goal.
“More people than ever are coming to Botetourt,” Martin said. “We want them to enjoy what we have to offer and stay long term.”
And that means making the county more of a “destination.”
Here’s where county leaders said they’ll spend all this money:
- More broadband upgrades
- Public safety
- More road improvements
- Education funding
- Greenfield Center expansion
- Courthouse renovations
To keep the momentum going, leaders said they’ll keep searching for companies to move in and for ways to help existing businesses expand.
They believe Friday’s event was a success.
“I’m very pleased with the response. It was very, very popular with people and we’ll definitely do it again,” said Grant Holmes, the Executive Director of the Botetourt County Chamber of Commerce.
This all comes as Botetourt County prepares to turn 250 years old. Leaders are planning multiple events throughout the year to celebrate the anniversary.