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News story puplished on 04/19/2007
By Chuck Clement, Staff Reporter
Madison County Leader.
Published on MADISONet.com
 MADISON, SD -- Madison received high praise from Gov. Mike Rounds on Wednesday when he presented the city with the 2007 Governor's Large Community of the Year Award for its efforts in economic development.
The community had taken the reins to control its destiny by laying out a series of long-term economic goals that are closely aligned with the state's 2010 Initiative, according to Rounds. The 2010 Initiative, a program created by the Rounds administration, outlines a series of goals for economic development and visitor spending in South Dakota by the year 2010. According to Rounds, the most important goal that community and state leaders face today is "to make our state ready for the challenges ahead."
 "It means that our citizens and leaders have to stand side by side," Rounds said.
The governor presented the award to Madison community leaders during a dinner at the end of the Governor's Economic Development Conference, held Tuesday and Wednesday in Pierre. Forty-one Madison officials, business people and residents attended the dinner at the Ramkota River Centre.
The governor emphasized the success of Forward Madison, a community economic enhancement and improvement program that raised $2.3 million in local funding during the winter of 2006 to assist the area economy. The project originally set a goal of $1.5 million.
Rounds congratulated Madison for the city's efforts at economic development during the last year, saying new companies and expanding businesses plan to bring about 400 new jobs to the community. The current expansion should increase the local payrolls by $2 million from about $6 million in capital investments with the total economic impact estimated at $18 million.
"Without these local people doing their work, the job wouldn't get done," Rounds said. "These communities know what type of jobs they want to bring in and the businesses that are already in the community that they want to expand."
He also noted two other accomplishments in Madison: the transfer of 160 acres of land from the city to the Lake Area Improvement Corporation and completion of the Heartland Technology Center.
Mayor Gene Hexom said the Community of the Year Award would provide additional energy within the community to sustain the progress that is currently under way. Hexom added that Madison had fostered good relations with state officials over a number of years.
"When representatives from Madison come to Pierre, (state officials) know where the community is -- despite our having a small population of 6,200 residents," Hexom said.
In addition to its reputation, Hexom said the city has another asset in Dakota State University, because the college has received regional and national recognition for its programs and accomplishments.
Madison won its first Community of the Year Award in 1995 after the community worked together to recover from a flood. In the application for the 1995 award, then-Mayor Gene Borchardt outlined other accomplishments, including hiring an economic director and constructing a new middle school.
Jon Knuths, LAIC president in 2006, said both awards recognize the accomplishments of Madison residents who faced different challenges.
"This award was given for planning out the future instead of a reaction to necessity caused by the flood," Knuths said. "It awards the accumulation of efforts made by a lot of people in Madison."
Reprinted with permission. Copyright © Madison County Leader 2007
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