On Tuesday December 1st, the Marana Town Council formally accepted a grant from the Tohono O’odham Nation. This is the first time the Town has applied for this grant, and is excited to have received $60,000. These funds will go toward development of a dedicated Economic Development Strategic Plan.
Every year, the Tohono O’odham Nation distributes grants to surrounding cities and towns out of their gaming revenues by way of the 12% Gaming Distribution Compact via A.R.S. 5-601-02. These funds are intended to help local jurisdictions fund special projects that support local initiatives, including economic development, education, healthcare, and more. Marana intends to use this grant to provide focus and action-oriented direction for the strategic planning of the Town.
“While we already have an economic roadmap, developing a strategic plan will provide us an even more in-depth approach to creating a sustainable community. Marana is already in a strong position to lead Southern Arizona in economic growth, and this opportunity will allow us to capitalize on that advantage,” says Curt Woody, Marana’s Director of Economic Development and Tourism.
A well designed strategic plan will incorporate the input from various community interests by identifying the Town’s strengths, assets, and preferred target industry sectors that includes Tourism through a comprehensive market assessment. Tourism is the number one economic driver in Arizona and will provide a foundation to build the industry strategies around. The focus will be to position Marana for sustainable economic health within the overall planning of the Sun Corridor Region. The Town truly appreciates the Tohono O’odham Nation for providing that opportunity.
