Governor Bill Lee issued his first executive order on Wednesday, requiring all state executive departments to issue a statement of rural impact and provide recommendations for better serving rural Tennessee.
“My administration will place a high emphasis on the development and success of our rural areas,” said Governor Lee.
“Our first executive order sends a clear message that rural areas will be prioritized across all departments as we work to improve coordination in our efforts.”
This executive order is the first step by the administration to accelerate plans to address 15 distressed counties in Tennessee which are all rural. The order requires each executive department to submit a statement of rural impact explaining how the department serves rural Tennesseans no later than May 31, and recommendations for improving that service by June 30, 2019.
“Our state has reached historic levels of prosperity and I want to ensure that the 15 distressed counties in our state benefit from a concentrated mission,” said Governor Lee. “Each department has communicated full support as we move forward with putting this plan into motion.”
There are 22 executive departments that will engage in this review and recommendation process.Distressed counties rank among the 10 percent most economically distressed counties in the nation. Each year, the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) prepares an index of county economic status for every county in the United States.
The 15 distressed counties in Tennessee include Lake, Lauderdale, Hardeman, McNairy, Perry, Jackson, Clay, Grundy, Van Buren, Bledsoe, Fentress, Morgan, Scott, Hancock and Cocke. More information regarding distressed counties may be viewed here.