By Doug Cunningham
Creating economic development while balancing the needs of companies, communities, governments and working families is a big job. It’s a job the Cornerstone Alliance has been doing for 30 years in Berrien County.
Rob Cleveland is President and CEO of the alliance, which was formed by local business and is now supported by over 300 investors including businesses, foundations and individuals.
“Our job is really to make it easier to do business here and ultimately that means then that companies will create more jobs and invest more money and employ more of our residents.”
But are there tensions between companies driving hard for the best bottom line, local governments wanting to preserve tax bases and services and working families wanting high wage jobs with good benefits? Cleveland says that has not been a problem.
“Companies just want fair. And they don’t mind paying taxes. And the way Michigan’s tax abatement is set up they’re not abating taxes from the schools, right? The schools are still made whole, the local millages for the schools are still being paid. So I don’t believe we’ve had any tension in terms of the corporate and the companies we’ve been trying to attract.”
Cornerstone Alliance Chief Operating Officer Greg Vaughn tells us Cornerstone works well with local governments to pave the way for economic development.
