The former Worcester-area Democratic state senator became the inaugural Rural Affairs Director in June 2023. As part of the rollout of Healey’s “Mass Leads: An Act Relative to Strengthening Massachusetts' Economic Leadership” legislation, Gobi says she’s excited by the potential of tax incentives the bill offers to climate tech businesses.
“We are well poised specifically in Western Mass with our knowledge corridor that we have there to really be poised to attract some of these climate tech companies that want to locate in an area where it's a little easier to settle, a little less, the cost of living isn't as high, but yet, you have access to major markets, things are close by- [Route] 91, the [Mass] Pike, Route 2, so there's a lot going for it," said Gobi. "And so, I'm really excited about looking at the possibilities for our rural communities and really partnering, going forward, specifically with climate tech is, you know, this past year with all the damage that was done through the rains that came in, and, you know, everyone very, very much focused on climate change.”
The bill also calls for a major investment in the commonwealth’s Rural Development Fund.
“Currently, there's a program called the One Stop program," said the director. "And what that is, it's a central portal that's available to all 351 cities and towns, and there are 12 different grants that are within that. One of those grants is the Rural Development Fund. For the past few years, that Development Fund has had $5 million to give out. Last year, we had almost $90 million in request for that $5 million. So, a really oversubscribed program, and it helps to provide financial support for infrastructure improvements in communities, and as you know, in a lot of our smaller communities, where they really depend, especially for their roads and bridges, the Chapter 90 [funding]- Sometimes it's not as much money as they would like, and towns are kind of forced year to year to almost the bank that money in order to do a big project.”
If the legislation is passed, $100 million will be invested into the fund.
Another $40 million would be directed to Destination Development Grants.
“There'll be projects in the state designated cultural districts," explained Gobi. "They will support rural tourism, such as ag tourism, outdoor recreation. That should be, again, really kind of a game changer for many communities. Next year will be the 250th anniversary for the start of the revolution. And so Massachusetts is really poised next year to take advantage of some of those real tourism dollars, and I really think that this destination development grants is going to go a long way to really highlight activities that took place in many of our Western communities specifically that people don't really know about.”
The bill would also enshrine a specific designation for the term “rural community.”
“Now there will be a focus to say, hey, look at rural is a thing," said Gobi. "And those 181 communities- And we use, you may know this as well, but we use as a definition, if you're a community of either under 7,000 people or less than 500 people per square mile, you are considered rural in Massachusetts. And that's 181 communities out of the 351. So, we’re more than half the state in number of communities, we don't make up that much of the population, but we got about 60% of the land area. So, we are a force to be reckoned with.”
