JUDGE: Make Milam County stronger - shop local

Many of you know that my wife and I make a huge deal of shopping local. Each Christmas shopping period we make the annual pledge to buy our Christmas presents local. Sure, we bend that rule some for our daughter who lives in London, otherwise it’s Christmas straight from Milam County. And it is not really that hard.

I’ve looked around and there really isn’t anything you need or want that can’t be found right here in Milam County. From groceries, to clothing, to household supplies, to building materials, to auto dealers, to furniture, to any list of items you could need; it’s all right here in Milam County. I hear the arguments all the time; from it’s too expensive to there’s not enough selection, you make the argument and I guarantee you I’ve already heard it. So, what is the truth?

It’s your money, do what you want with it, you might spend a bit more sometimes to shop at home here in Milam County and you might not be able to get that exact designer brand you had your heart set on, but when you shop local you are supporting you neighbors, friends, and your own pocket book over the long run. And when you leave the county to do you shopping, the county loses out on the tax money generated by the sales, and in turn so do the Milam County Taxpayers.

When you buy in Temple, Bell County enjoys the windfall of your purchase, Milam County gets nothing. If you buy in Bryan/College Station, Brazos County wins; buy in Austin, Travis County gains; buy in Waco and McLennan County adds to their coffers. See the trend?

I hear all the time, “If there was an HEB here in Milam County I’d shop there, but I have to go to Temple/Taylor/Bryan/Waco to use HEB?”

Guess what ... If we all just shopped locally for a while, HEB would notice and be more apt to build in Milam County. 

But ... HEB doesn’t build in Milam County because they know you’ll make the 25 to 45-minute trip to the nearest HEB. Every time you swipe your debit/credit card at an out-of-county store, they read the zip code and know you’re good with travelling there to shop rather than shopping in Milam County. They don’t need to come to Milam County because Milam County will come to them.

We have three car dealerships in Milam County and several used-car lots, yet how many people take the trip down the road and buy a car and give their tax money to other counties. That’s a lot of money every year that leaves Milam County.

Home improvements are an always an ongoing occurrence, yet every hardware store and lumber yard in Milam County struggles while you drive to the next county over to shop at the big chain store. 

I’m not sure, but I think most of the local stores employ local Milam County folks and help sponsor a great deal of the charitable works throughout the county. You don’t see too many of the big chain stores helping around Milam County.

Patronizing local businesses is what supports Milam County. Local businesses are who we saw this weekend sponsoring the Milam County Youth Livestock Show. Those are the names we saw sponsoring the Spring Festival. 

There aren’t any big chain stores with their names on the backs of little league jersey’s here. As the PA announcer at high school sporting events, the businesses I usually thank on Friday nights are local, not big chains. 

Shopping local is what makes for a strong tax base, a lower tax rate, greater overall economic development, and a more prosperous Milam County. As for me and my house, we’ll keep shopping local – you should too.