ENERGIZE Clinton County

It is estimated that Clinton County will lose more than 10,000 jobs and more than $450 million in economic activity as a direct result of the closure of the DHL hub. In order to stabilize the local economy and empower the community to build a sustainable economic future, Clinton County is need of an innovative and effective emergency economic stimulus that combines a near-term economic stimulus with a strategy for achieving long-term economic recovery.

We believe that the stimulus program should seek to accomplish four goals:

(1) Create locally based, “shovel ready” jobs

(2) Increase local economic activity through spending and infrastructure investment

(3) Encourage savings though energy efficiency

(4) Demonstrate Ohio’s commitment to serving as a leader in green economic development

To meet these four important goals—as well as the broader goal of combining economic stimulus and recovery—we propose that Clinton County serve as a pilot for the country’s largest and most targeted weatherization program to date.

Directly, the weatherization program will provide training for Clinton County’s displaced workers in “Green Collar Jobs” while promoting the growth of local businesses that sell weatherization supplies and services. Indirectly, the program’s economic impact will be multiplied by the increase in household expenditures derived from energy savings averaging 25% per weatherized home. Such a targeted and ambitious effort will make Ohio and Clinton County models for the use green economic development in addressing the immediate needs of an economic crisis.

This emergency stimulus can only be achieved through a direct government grant to Clinton County from the economic stimulus package being proposed by the incoming Obama administration. Facing an unprecedented economic calamity, Clinton County’s recovery rests on the quick and directed action of our state and federal representatives to secure an immediate government grant for a local stimulus program. Clinton County can not wait for funding from traditional channels nor can it afford to have its needs underestimated by traditional allotment systems.

The following chart highlights five program scenarios, each with a projection for cost, economic benefits, and job creation. We believe that for such a stimulus package to be effective in providing a near-term stabilization to the local economy, it must be a minimum of $20 million and seek to create at least 1,000 jobs.