Smith: Game changers for our local economy

My plan for economic development is two-fold: pursue economic development projects knocking on our door and effect changes to attract more jobs for Pinal County.

The reason I am so passionate about creating jobs is that, according to the Central Arizona Association of Governments, 52 percent of our Pinal County workforce leave the county each day to work in another county or state. In comparison, Maricopa County has only 1.1 percent of its workers leaving that county.

How can Pinal County have a sustainable economy with a diversified tax base if so many of our workers spend their time and resources elsewhere?

Now let’s talk about pursuing projects that I believe, with successful implementation into our regional economy, will be “game-changers” for our local economy.

Near Superior, a company called Resolution Copper is proposing a new mine on the site of the third largest undeveloped copper resource in the world. On the world stage of economic development this is a very valuable and needed resource. Estimates indicate the annual production is enough to meet more than 25 percent of the current U.S. demand for copper over the next 40 years.

The impact for Superior and the rest of Pinal County is enormous. The mine could add 3,000 good-paying jobs during construction and 1,400 when the mine is at full production. This doesn’t include the 2,300 additional indirect jobs to support operations that would be a boon to local economies.

Assuming the world, especially the Asian market, keeps a strong appetite for copper, Pinal County could be a major player to diversify the Arizona economy and help our national economy rebound.

The second “game-changer” project is the Union Pacific Railroad Red Rock Project planned near I-10, north of the Red Rock community. Pinal County’s website provides facts indicating the Red Rock Project will create one of the largest logistics centers in the western United States.