Sara Harris, Executive Director of the Midland Development Corporation, said that Midland's economic development is funded by a portion of local sales tax, allowing the city to invest in infrastructure, education, health care, job creation, and business expansion. Harris was a guest on a recent episode of the Best of Midland Podcast.
"Texas has a really robust economic development program," said Harris on a recent edition of the Best of Midland Podcast. "It is up to each individual city to determine how they want to do it, and that's within the strictures the state kind of set. So in 2002, Midland voters approved the structure and the funding for the Midland Development Corporation. We're funded by one-quarter of 1% of the sales tax that's collected within Midland city limits, and those funds are dedicated to strengthening and diversifying Midland's economy.”
“How we do that is we can put funds into new roads and infrastructure, higher education, health care, creating new jobs, bringing businesses in, and also helping existing businesses expand," Harris said.
Harris serves as the Executive Director of the Midland Development Corporation (MDC), which supports businesses currently in Midland and those considering relocating to the area.
Best of Midland Podcast is hosted by Ryan Shewchuk and Terra Avery. It is an extension of the broader Best of Midland program, which aims to support small, local businesses by showcasing them and the people behind them. Their website lists top businesses and upcoming live events happening in the area.
The podcast is available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.