Independence County, Arkansas

5 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 3, ISSUE 10 College, which has done a really good job with the establishment of the Veterinarian and Dental Schools in Little Rock, as well as partnering with White River Health (our local hospital) to do an RN to BSN program that will be huge for both the area and the state.” Independence County and the City of Batesville have many other things going for them according to Mitchell. Top of the list boils down to the quality of life for its valued residents which can’t be overstated. “Batesville has a fairly low cost of living compared to other large cities within the state of Arkansas,” Mitchell states. “It has the benefit of having a small- town feel, very low crime rate, and a lot of recreational opportunities in the area, but also has a lot of synergy in the job market from the hospital to the financial institutions to the local school systems to poultry and manufacturing.” Robert Griffin, County Judge, acknowledges the engagement of its citizens and the productivity of the workforce in Independence County. “Our community is based around education, banking, business, and industry. We have a workforce noted for its willingness to produce a quality product and be at work consistently,” Griffin notes. “From a County Government standpoint, finding a way to make projects happen has been a key to our successes. I will point to the latest industry making an investment here – Independent Stave Company. When we were contacted about their interest in a tract of land to build a plant, my office kept in touch with AEDC for information about their application for industrial development assistance such as tax back opportunities.” He adds, “We made a deal and the QC of Independence County approved up to a $50 million bond issue for the development of this