Saratoga County, NY – Economic Development Strategic Plan

Challenge

Saratoga County’s economy has consistently outperformed the region. It boasts vibrant communities with some of the highest incomes in the state. Coupled with world-class tourism attractions and a robust and growing healthcare system, Saratoga County enjoys an enviable position, especially as the beneficiary of one of the largest capital investments in the nation, GlobalFoundries. However, the county was concerned that recent successes had not been capitalized on and that the community was not positioned for the next wave of opportunity.

Response

In response to these concerns, Saratoga County hired TIP Strategies to prepare a county-wide economic development strategic plan. As part of the engagement, TIP was charged with providing recommendations for optimizing the organizational structure to ensure the capacity necessary to implement the plan. Over five months, the planning team collected input from over 100 individuals through roundtable discussions, interviews, workshops, and an online questionnaire. The resulting plan argued for a fresh view of economic development, one that integrated the three pillars of the county economy: agriculture, tourism, and industry. The plan recommended the creation of the Saratoga County Prosperity Partnership, an inclusive organization with a visionary structure that would enable the County to identify and advance catalyst projects. The Partnership was created following the plan’s unanimous adoption in early 2014.