Hamilton County residents got their first chance to shape the county's next five-year economic development plan at two public sessions Wednesday, Sept. 23, with more input opportunities expected before Thanksgiving.

The county held free sessions from 3–5 p.m. and 6–8 p.m. at Hamilton County Central Campus, 1701 Patricia McCollum Way, to collect feedback on its 2027 Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS). The plan, updated every five years, sets priorities for jobs, workforce development, business growth and transportation across the county, including Anderson Township.

County officials presented data through 2024 covering employment, population growth, education, wages, poverty reduction and racial parity, FOX 19 reported. Officials told attendees the county's trajectory is improving, pointing to modest gains in unemployment and poverty numbers and population growth not seen in decades.

Residents pushed back. The gap between wages and everyday costs dominated the discussion.

"There's a growing kind of disparity between the income people get from wages and the cost to pay for everything in this world, right?" one attendee said, according to FOX 19.

Angela Rahman, Hamilton County's community development administrator, oversees the CEDS process, according to county records. The strategy reviews five years of economic development programming, funding and policy to set the county's next priorities.

The county said it will combine the session feedback with market research and return with a draft set of recommendations at a second round of public sessions. Organizers are aiming to hold those before Thanksgiving, though specific dates have not been announced.

After that second round, the county plans to bring the final recommendations to the Hamilton County Board of Commissioners for approval before the end of 2026. The board includes Commission President Stephanie Summerow Dumas, Commissioners Alicia Reece and Denise Driehaus.

The CEDS covers policy areas that touch Anderson Township directly, from development funding to workforce programs. Residents who missed the Sept. 23 sessions can watch for announcements about the next round on Hamilton County's official social media accounts.