The legal means to do so exist and the political and social climates are right. Redefine your sense of community. Rather than thinking of your community as the town in which you live - broaden the scope to include neighboring towns as well. With all the competition around the country, it makes sense for rural communities to work together rather than competing for limited opportunties. Pool your resources.
Many communities have local development funds available to help attract business.
But it often takes more than what one town to put together enough funds to be a real player. Consider joint promotions. In a rural area, everyone benefits from increased tourism promotion and business recruitment efforts. Rendevous Region Tourism Promotion Group Way north on the Canadian border, this small community was counting on it scenic beauty to draw tourists.