Before Greene County voters head to the polls tomorrow, the two candidates for the Iowa House of Representative District 47 seat square off on economic development in rural Iowa.

Democrat candidate Hans Erickson says that in order to have strong economic development, there needs to be a well educated workforce which starts at the beginning in grade school.

“So if we give people a good foundation at the start when so much development happens then they’re just going to be that much farther a head.  Plus, if we have a good, educated workforce here in the state of Iowa, more companies are going to want to relocate here.”

He adds that by focusing on small businesses and making sure they have the opportunity to grow is key for rural areas to expand.

Republican incumbent Chip Baltimore says that he would like a bill to be passed that allows for a more affordable option for rural areas to gain broadband access to the internet which he believes is critical for businesses to grow and expand.

Like Erickson, Baltimore agrees that an educated workforce is needed to economic development, but he believes it’s with giving the workforce proper training with a bill that was passed this year to allow for an increase in apprenticeships and trade school programs.

“We’re going to be working with local employers to find out what their needs are, find out what kind of employee skill shortages they have and then develop the proper programs to make sure that they are getting the skills that they need there as well.”

Both recognize that in rural Iowa, small businesses are looked at as the cornerstone to a successful economic development plan.