Is NK 5th Best Town For Doing Business in RI?
GoLocalProv has rated North Kingstown as the fifth best town for doing business in the state.
GoLocalProv has released its newest rankings for Rhode Island's Best Cities and Towns For Doing Business and North Kingstown has made the top five.
According to the article, NK comes in at number five due in part to its moderate tax rates to business, moderate cost of living and projected job growth of 27.5 percent. At number one is Warwick,thanks to its "ample labor force, low cost of living and, of course, the shortest distance to air travel in the state."
The ratings were determined by municipally-distinct data on tax rates, workforce availability, cost of living index, economic indicators for short- and long-term job growth and driving time to T.F. Green Airport.
- Warwick
- Hopkinton
- Providence
- Coventry
- North Kingstown
- Little Compton
- Bristol
- Warren
- South Kingstown
- Portsmouth
Do you agree with the rankings? Sound off in the comments.
Jeff Crawford
7:58 am on Friday, March 15, 2013
Let me get this straight. We're number 5 in the State for doing business, yet there are vacant properties all over. Add to that the property values which just dropped(even though everyone else in the state says the property values have started going up) and we're being warned of an impending tax rate hike. So how are we affording these pay increases? MAGIC!
Scrabbletown
8:45 am on Friday, March 15, 2013
While it does seem like a fairly arbitrary set of requirements for the benchmark, I don't find this ranking too hard to believe.
I'm guessing they're talking about corporate businesses and not retail business. Home prices in NK have reportedly been going up in line with other areas of the state. This shift is somewhat recent for everybody so it would not be reflected in the recent housing reassessment done in NK.
Mike
10:26 am on Friday, March 15, 2013
Don't know that I agree NK homes have been trending up. According to Zillow, home prices at or above the median for North Kingston have continued to drop in each of the past 12 months. The only reason the town as a whole trended up was that there was a reduction in foreclosures and distressed property sales.
Scott Madison
8:39 pm on Friday, March 15, 2013
2 comments.
1 - Thanks for my joke of the week. This had myself and other townspeople with the same response. Laughter....
2 - GoLocalProv loses some credibility. Obviously nobody has seen the TONS of vacant storefronts along Route 1 and Route 2/102....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRnHtIbJTaU
Dave
8:58 am on Saturday, March 16, 2013
Agreed....too funny.
Govstench
10:45 pm on Friday, March 15, 2013
I agree with many of the posts here - there is no way NK is 5th in rankings with all of the shuttered store fronts in this town. This town is in an economic depression. The town continues to sit on its thumbs with economic development proposals. Where is Embury on this?
I say, if you need to shop, go to the Golden Highway on Rt. 6 Seekonk - they are doing just fine over there!
Politics Sheriff of NK
11:55 pm on Friday, March 15, 2013
And they'll be doing even better when Mass drops their sales tax rate to 4.25% as is the plan...
In the interest of Fairness
9:38 am on Saturday, March 16, 2013
North Kingstown may be a good environment for developers and big business but the countless empty small offices and shops are a blatant symbol that small business development is not encouraged in Wickford.
A Town Coucilman single handedly drove the Wickford Marketplace (old Rryans) out of town over a matter that could have been negotiated. Our obstructionist Town Manager recently rejected a proposal for a Farmers Market in Wickford because it might bring too much traffic into the village. Hello Mr. Embrey. That's the point local small business needs customers.
The Town fights the owner of our local fish market for years about a minor expansion. The Town refuses to let our only sigificant restaurant expand his bar. Why? We can give variances to developers but we can't afford a policeman to direct traffic 4 hours a week? These acts are all emblematic of the attitude of the town to small business.
Fire our administrators! We bring in new blood that will infuse the village with positive, can-do energy and generate jobs and revenue to benefit us all.
NK Parent
11:41 am on Saturday, March 16, 2013
The Wickford Marketplace was a half-hearted joke and an embarrassment to Wickford. It was destined for failure regardless of the issues surrounding their lack of plumbing. Better to have them vacate so the property can once again be available for an entrepreneur with an actual vision that extends beyond aisles overflowing with packing crates of day-old food and other junk nobody wants.
Regarding the Farmer's Market in Wickford, I thought Wickford already had a farmer's market that was on Thursday evenings. Does your post mean that they were turned down for returning this year? We tried to support the market last year but they needed a lot more time to organize and build. It didn't help that practically the whole rest of Wickford was closed so there was nothing else to do in town if you did attend the market.
In the interest of Fairness
12:17 pm on Saturday, March 16, 2013
NK Parent. No. You're right. The Wickford Marketplace did not look like a New England General Store. But it did offer the many visitors who walk from the local Marinas some option to replenish their provisions. It might have evolved and it provided jobs for 4-6 people.
It is my understanding that a Farmers Market has been stuck down by the Town Manager, Michael Embry. Call his office to confirm the fact. We all need to patronize the stores and restaurants are open. Not just pay lip service to it. You can't sell Wickford as an asset to North Kingstown when visitors arrive and find a ghost town.
Politics Sheriff of NK
1:15 pm on Saturday, March 16, 2013
That's ridiculous. How does "the Town Manager" "strike down" a business startup? If it isnt prohibited, you just get your paperwork and start your business. If it's not allowed by existing zoning etc, the process involves approaching planning, zoning, town council, and possibly any environmental issues to work outside the norms.. (Like Hawkins "Urbanization South" effort at 2/102). But lets stop blaming the manager for everything including global warming. The man works "at the pleasure of the town council". And the people elect that body. (Which we could do a LOT better with by the way some members like dolan and hueston and now mckay are pretty low-grade).