High-paying jobs for Beaufort? Councilman calls on community to get focused

The post had all the idealism one might expect from a freshly elected politician and business owner.

Beaufort City Councilman Stephen Murray returned last week from a trip to tour the Charleston's booming tech scene fired up about making similar strides here.

"All around us, economic development is happening," Murray wrote on Facebook. "And it's happening big."

Murray asked residents to act if they wanted higher-wage jobs and more diverse businesses, if they cared that the city's ability to deliver services is based on low- to middle-income families and retirees. He said the city was working on an economic redevelopment plan but called on residents to grab the ear of County Council and committee members.

Response to the post was supportive, most appreciating the sentiment but pointing to past frustrations.

The question of how to spur business growth in the area is again on the forefront as the city prepares to pass its 2016 fiscal-year budget and reorganizes its Redevelopment Commission.

The commission's structure is changing to include City Council members and four public appointees, a departure from its most recent model of only one council member serving.

Among the priorities is attracting small aviation-related businesses, city manager Bill Prokop said. The effort would take advantage of the Technical College of the Lowcountry's programs and exiting military personnel who have both the experience and security clearance such companies would covet. Anywhere from a handful of employees to 25 or so would be ideal, he said.

"I think maybe for a few years we were looking at finding a big company, now it's small startups," Prokop said. "It doesn't have to be big buildings like they have in Charleston. It could be small office buildings with their electronics or avionics -- they start to grow from that so they are suppliers to the aviation trade."

Murray said he is in the fact-finding stage of what the city can take from the successes of other areas. He pointed to the Charleston Digital Corridor's average salary of $70,000.

The city of Beaufort's per capita income is $27,719, according to the most recent U.S. Census data.

"Folks who have young families can't afford to live in our communities," Murray said. "That's going to pose some real challenges for us in our community diversity moving forward."

Murray put the onus on Beaufort County to take the lead.

The county is regrouping after the Lowcountry Economic Alliance was dissolved this spring. The alliance had worked to try to secure business for the county and also to attract tenants at Beaufort's still vacant commerce park.

The county's Governmental Committee voted this week for an economic development policy that will go to the full council Monday. The resolution calls for cooperation from municipalities and associated public funding, and for the purchase or development of more property or commerce parks in Beaufort County.

"At least they had a unanimous vote and agreed on the fact that they ought to get back into economic development, which is a good thing," Beaufort Mayor Billy Keyserling said. "We all want very much to work with them. We want to be part of it."

A silver bullet, however, seems elusive.

Among those who weighed in on Murray's Facebook post was developer and former County Council member Dick Stewart, who said the area has had one big success in USC Beaufort and "abject and complete failure otherwise."

Port Royal Councilman Joe Lee bemoaned his town's lost potential in the Port of Port Royal, which has undergone several failed purchase attempts by developers.

Port Royal town manager Van Willis likened northern Beaufort County to the former business climate of his native Charleston, once a seasonal economy with a similar military presence.

He said Charleston's transformation to one of the top tech economies in the country took a sustained effort over decades.

Follow reporter Stephen Fastenau at twitter.com/IPBG_Stephen.

This story was originally published June 4, 2015 at 12:14 PM with the headline "High-paying jobs for Beaufort? Councilman calls on community to get focused."