CREATING THRIVING COMMUNITIES … A graphic shared by Swanton Village Administrator Shannon Shulters to accompany a social media post on successfully creating and managing growth simplifies the process into five basic points.
By: Jesse Davis
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
jesse@thevillagereporter.com
Following heated discussions at the most recent Swanton Village Council meeting on how to address the mounting costs of providing appropriate services to residents, Village Administrator Shannon Shulters took to social media to explain how communities manage growth.
Shulters posted the message on her official Facebook page and as a comment on the livestream of the council meeting, giving a multipoint breakdown of the process.
“Strong communities aren’t built overnight – they grow through a long-term cycle of planning, investment, and collaboration,” she wrote.
“At the core of every successful town or village is a simple truth: growth follows a healthy foundation.”
According to the post, that foundation starts with infrastructure – the roads, utilities, water, sewer, broadband, and safe public spaces that are “the backbone of any community.”
That infrastructure, she wrote, allows for new opportunities, while its absence makes growth more difficult.
Shulters wrote that businesses and industries then follow that infrastructure, investigating further to confirm the community environment can support long-term operations. Once they invest, new jobs are created, leading to the next phase of growth.
“With new jobs comes the need for housing,” she wrote. “New homes help ensure that employees can live where they work, which strengthens the local economy. Residential development expands the tax base, supports local services, and helps small businesses thrive.”
In order to keep or draw residents to fill those jobs, the community itself must also be strong, she wrote, saying families need access to quality education, parks, recreation, and community programs to keep them rooted long term and provide the stability that “keeps a community strong from one generation to the next.”
She wrote that the final step is the creation and support of attractions, events, festivals, and local amenities that bring outside revenue into the community, creating pride and increasing visibility, thereby supporting businesses large and small.
“When all these pieces work together, a village can grow its tax base, stabilize revenue, and build long-term financial reserves.
“Neighboring communities with similar populations – such as villages with around 1,800 residents that have grown their business and industrial base – show what is possible.
“Their strong reserves are the result of years of strategic planning, investment, and community support,” Shulters wrote.
That cycle, she wrote, “keeps successful communities thriving.”
“As we continue planning for the future, staying engaged and working together will be key,” she wrote. “A strong foundation today ensures a strong community tomorrow.”
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