In his 2007 budget brief, Walworth County Administrator David Bretl wrote, "there is no free lunch."
He was referring to paying for the wide range of services the county government provides its citizens.
A privately funded economic study says Walworth County, as a whole, has too many free lunches, a trend that needs to change.
Without a comprehensive, countywide economic development plan, the county economy is missing opportunities despite a prime location between four major metropolitan areas, according to the study.
"While Walworth County is experiencing above-average growth in population, current economic indicators show that Walworth County's economy is underperforming," the study's executive summary reads. "Key indicators such as per capita income and the number of school children receiving free or reduced lunch demonstrate significant problems that need to be addressed."
The study, commissioned by Johnson Bank, Keefe Real Estate and Bliss Communications, parent company to The Week, says Walworth County can expect to fall behind upward economic trends unless it plans for growth.
Opportunities are there. To capitalize, the county should establish relationships with Milwaukee and northern Illinois where a lot of people coming into the county are from, said Dr. David J. Ward, a consultant from NorthStar Economics who led the study. More here.
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