Letter to the Editor: Helping W.Va. Counties

I am sure by now that most county officials around the country are aware of the devastating floods that hit West Virginia in June. Generous contributions and assistance have come into the state from all over the country and it is much appreciated. As all county officials know, recovery goes far beyond the initial emergency efforts. Rebuilding and recovery will take years.

Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin has created a program that will focus on small business leaders who lost their businesses in the flood. The program, Rise West Virginia, is our state’s long-term flood-recovery initiative aimed at strengthening impacted communities. Through RISE West Virginia, a public-private program is created to provide grants to small businesses affected by the recent flooding to help them rebuild in a way that promotes economic prosperity above and beyond pre-flood levels.

As all of you know, our small business owners are also our counties’ community leaders, friends and neighbors.  The small businesses that populate our communities and counties are more than storefronts. They have names; they have faces; the businesses have often been in families for generations.

Rise West Virginia received an early boost from Brad Smith, a native West Virginian and chairman and CEO of Intuit, one of the world’s leading financial software companies. In addition to providing software and training for impacted small businesses through his company, Brad and his wife, Alys, have pledged a family donation of $500,000 to our grant program.

The ultimate goal is to reach at least $2 million from a combination of private donations and state dollars. Interested donors are asked to contact Sean Hill at the West Virginia Development Office, 304.558.2234 or sean.d.hill@wv.gov . More information can be found at www.wvflood.com and click on Rise West Virginia.

Grants of up to $10,000 will be awarded to eligible small businesses based on need and recommendations from a review committee. Consideration will be given to long-term viability and sustainability.

Through our connection with the National Association of Counties, the West Virginia Association of Counties is reaching out to our national county network and the organizations with which county officials are involved. Many people have asked, “How can we help?” This is one way of helping rebuild the small businesses that were the backbone of the 12 devastated counties and communities.

It’s going to take all of us — from the county, state and federal governments to neighbors-helping-neighbors — to rebuild. RISE West Virginia represents an all-hands-on-deck approach to getting businesses back open and West Virginians back to work.

Thank you for helping to spread the word and provide an answer to the question, “How can we help?”

With best regards,

President, West Virginia Association of Counties

and

Executive Director, West Virginia Association of Counties