Wayne County’s Make My Move initiative has reached its goal of attracting 30 movers to Wayne County, and there might be more in the future.
Valerie Shaffer, president of the Economic Development Corp. of Wayne County, spoke about Make My Move as she provided Wayne County’s commissioners a monthly EDC update during their Aug. 6 meeting. Make My Move has provided incentives to remote workers who relocate to Wayne County, with the hope that attracting more residents who pay taxes, increasing the size of the workforce and increasing consumer spending will help the community as a whole.
Shaffer said Make My Move, which has brought 71 people, including 48 adults, to the county with the 30 families, has established good momentum the past six months. Wayne County has the opportunity to enter another Make My Move contract, but the incentives could be expanded beyond remote workers. Shaffer said local employers could be recruited to promote the program as they search for workers.
Shaffer said extending and expanding the program would cost about $80,000, but the city of Richmond and the county’s consolidated economic development income tax fund are both owed $60,000 payments from the Indiana Economic Development Corporation.
Commissioner Jeff Plasterer said the county should continue with the program, and Commissioner Aaron Roberts agreed, saying the county should take advantage of the program’s momentum.
DFWCP grants
Tim Pierson, director of the Drug Free Wayne County Partnership, presented commissioners with a list of grant recipients.
DFWCP is funded by fees assessed against those with criminal drug or alcohol charges. The money is split into four equal shares to pay for administrative costs and fund grants in three categories: law enforcement and justice, prevention and education, and treatment and recovery.
This year, DFWCP collected $41,804, leaving $10,451 available for each grant category. After making the awards, $3,951 remained in the law enforcement and justice category and $3,551 remained in the prevention and education category. Pierson said another funding cycle is likely later this year to disperse the remaining funds.
Commissioners unanimously approved the grants awarded. Law enforcement and justice grants are $3,500 to Wayne County probation and community corrections and $3,000 to Cambridge City Police Department.
Prevention and education grants are $500 to Richmond Parks and Recreation Department, $500 to Townsend Community Center, $2,500 to Birth to Five, and $3,400 to Boys and Girls Clubs of Wayne County.
Recovery and treatment grants are $5,000 to Bridges for Life, $2,620 to Unchained Praises as The Link, $1,995 to Cross Road Recovery Center for Women, $418 to Recovery Rocks and $418 to A Better Life — Brianna’s Hope.
Other actions
- Commissioners unanimously approved a four-year contract for Spring Grove to contribute to the consolidated EDIT fund that pays EDC operating expenses and funds economic development projects.
- Commissioners approved Sheriff Randy Retter donating 10 radios his agency no longer uses to the Cambridge City Volunteer Fire Department and for Retter to advertise protective gear no longer used by jail staff that another jail might want.
A version of this article appeared in the August 13 2025 print edition of the Western Wayne News.