If you drive into Marne, Iowa from Interstate 80, you'll see a sign outside of town that says 'From a Proud Past to a Promising Future.'Mayor Randy Baxter says that future depends on a growing population."Towns like Marne- and all of rural Iowa- are struggling," Baxter said, "you gotta keep the lights on and the streets fixed."Baxter says his town of 120 people, located just six miles northwest of Atlantic, has been losing residents to large metropolitan areas for the last 20 years."Every time a resident dies or moves out or a house becomes inhabitable, just that much closer to making ends meet," Baxter said.So, the town's housing committee, which Baxter leads, decided to offer outsiders a little incentive: free land."Basically what it comes down to is getting new houses built," Baxter told KETV NewsWatch 7.Every new home or business that is built in town helps increase the tax base. Baxter says low overhead costs and reasonable tax rates led him to start his motorcycle business, Baxter Cycle, in Marne back in the 1980s. The town's Free Lot Program has been around for more than ten years. Baxter says there are currently two quarter-acre parcels and one larger lot along Highway 83, which can be divided into three smaller lots, up for grabs.Most of the available lots used to have dilapidated homes on them, Baxter says."Mayor Baxter has done a lot for the community," longtime Marne resident Alan Cranston said.Cranston told KETV that Baxter has helped clean the town up. Even after traveling the world for 20 years during his service in the Navy, Cranston says there's no other place he'd rather be."Where do we come back to? A little town of 120 people," Cranston said, "and we just love it."The town of Marne has an auto body shop, a bar and grill, community center with a volunteer fire department and a newly renovated public park.But so far, the Free Lot Program hasn't seen much success. In its ten to 15 years of existence, Baxter says only one family has actually chosen a property in town and built a home. The couple still lives there, and have since had three children."So, it was a good thing," Baxter said.But Baxter hopes more people are inclined to make the move. He says he's been receiving many out-of-state phone calls from people intending to visit and see the lots.The mayor is optimistic that somebody will stay.There is a list of property requirements under the Free Lot Program, including that the structure must be at least 1,200 square feet and cannot be a mobile or manufactured home.For more information on the Free Lot Program and to access the application, click here.