This archive report was first published on 27 December 2019.
On the surface, Campbellsville, Kentucky, appears to be thriving with the presence of an Amazon warehouse in the town. However, a closer look reveals a complex relationship between the company and the community.
Amazon's generosity has been evident in various forms, including a $10,000 gift to the local library for science and technology education in the spring. The company also donated 25 Kindle Fire tablets to kindergarten and first-grade classrooms in 2016, along with $2,500 in 'content.'
Moreover, the town schools have increasingly been buying supplies from Amazon, with records showing a total of about $50,000 in the last fiscal year.
According to Chris Kidwell, finance director for Campbellsville Independent Schools, the company's donations are part of a 'good-neighbor policy.' 'We want to do business with those in our community, those paying local taxes,' he said.
However, the county school system, with 2,800 students, is facing state budget cuts, and one way it has made up some of the shortfalls is by selling corporate sponsorships. Taylor Regional Hospital bought the naming rights to the health services room, and Campbellsville University did the same for an education center. Amazon is not a corporate sponsor, but its presence in the town has raised concerns about the town's reliance on corporate sponsorships.
As the local library struggles with the state's largely unfunded pension system, Tammy Snyder, the town librarian, expressed gratitude for the $10,000 gift from Amazon. 'We're on the receiving end of a blessing,' she said.
Justin Harden, a local business owner, had a more nuanced view of Amazon's presence in the town. 'We're proud to have them in our community, and we would be proud to have them as a corporate sponsor,' said Laura Benningfield, the assistant superintendent.
