If you want to sleep soundly knowing that Dauphin County’s economic development is good hands, you can. Dan Robinson is at the helm.

As director of the county’s Department of Community and Economic Development, Robinson — under the direction of County Commissioners John Payne, Lowman Henry and Anthony Petrucco — oversees a matrix of operations all pointing to one goal: developing the economic infrastructure of the county and region.

"I run this office like a business," Robinson says, weary of inundating me with too much paper and anxious to get down to facts and figures. There is calmness in his work environment, a serene sense of focus that inspires confidence.

One would need confidence to accept the assignment of making things happen in Dauphin County. Outside of Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, Robinson deals with a hybrid mix of circumstances. U.S. Census data estimates Dauphin County’s population at 251,400 people living in 95,264 households with a median household income of $30,985. They are spread over 517.6 square miles in 39 municipalities and one city. About 100,000 vehicles a day drive over the county’s network of interlocking highways.

Asked about the ongoing local tug of war over "regionalization," Robinson thought that the local daily newspaper "poorly portrayed" the differences among various stakeholders over how, when, and why to combine and collaborate on local services and governing functions. The issue took shape when Envision Capitol Region, perceived by some players as a "top down" adventure, a view to which many participants still adhere, studied ways to promote cooperation among the county’s dizzying maze of economic development and governing bodies. Not that Robinson agrees, or disagrees, with all the study’s recommendations. "I don’t agree that there ought to be a single economic development entity for Dauphin County. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t lead and cooperate; however, we must cooperate and consolidate on a voluntary basis. Groups of elected municipal leaders must be encouraged to freely conclude it makes sense for them."

With or without consolidations by consensus, who is on the other end of the paper trail? Baby boomers account for 79,030 or 33.2% of the population. Nearly one-quarter, or 55,625, are under the age of 18. Individuals over 65 constitute 14.3 percent or 34,012. The bulk of the county’s population, 148,176 or 62.3 percent, is between 18 and 64. Harrisburg, Lebanon, and Carlisle together represent the third largest Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) in the state. An MSA is a geographic designation used by the federal government for planning and grant distribution purposes.

A county workforce of about 120,000 has an average daily commute of 19 minutes. There are more than 20 major industrial parks and office districts located in the county. Among the state’s 67 counties, Dauphin draws the largest number of workers from outside its borders. About 25,000 people work in the City of Harrisburg, many in the private sector, and occupy 9 million square feet of office space. Robinson’s office has paved the way for new jobs inside the City of Harrisburg and around the county. For example, a candy packing company in Middletown, FDA Packing, Inc., retained 65 and created 52 new jobs with Robinson’s help. Electrical connector manufacturer InterCon Systems, Inc., retained 110 and created 50 jobs. The "Business Opportunity" link on the county web site at www.dauphincounty.org is a storefront of goodies on what’s been transpiring in the region.

In order to create change and development, Robinson will use the recently enacted two percent hotel tax put into place by the county. "There was no real opposition from the county residents," he says of the tax that county commissioners can levy on a voluntary basis. "The majority of those affected by the tax are visitors, not county residents." In allowing such levies, the General Assembly did not require that all counties impose such a tax. "Thanks to the commissioners we’ll see about $100,00 in revenue from the hotel tax to the county’s tourism budget, about 10 percent of the tax’s total revenue," he points out. Another 20 percent of the tax’s revenue will be devoted to the Civil War Museum. Derry Township Industrial Authority will receive 70 percent of the revenue for the proposed arena.

With Dauphin County in the top three counties for visitor spending, last estimated at $1.5 billion annually, the voluntary levy of a hotel tax appears to have been a good idea. Perhaps since everyone involved could kick the tires on the deal and see for him or herself its benefits, there was virtually no opposition indicating that the "voluntary" nature of the transaction is the real lesson to be learned about economic development.