Beaufort County may form corporation to lead economic development

Beaufort County Council is being asked to move forward with an economic-development policy after a committee voted unanimously this week for a new plan.

Council will get the resolution Monday, which calls for cooperation from municipalities in the forming of the Beaufort County Economic Development Corporation to attract new business.

Details are few on the corporation's structure, funding or processes, and future components will require council action. But members of council's Governmental Committee said the resolution adopting an economic development strategy was an important step.

"I do believe it's good to have at least some consensus on where we're going," said committee chairman and Councilman Stu Rodman.

The resolution calls for a corporation similar to those recently formed by Bluffton and Hilton Head Island, which are designed as public-private partnerships. Public funding would be provided for the county's venture, and it would involve the purchase and development of property to attract businesses, the resolution says.

"I'm going to be looking at each and every one of these cases, picking over the details of it to make sure Beaufort County gets a good deal," Councilman Brian Flewelling said of the language that the county purchase and develop property and/or commerce parks. "I urge you to support this. It's something that we have to do. I don't like that we have to do it."

The county had worked with the Lowcountry Economic Alliance until it dissolved earlier this year after director Kim Statler took another job and amid questions about funding.

The resolution marks the next move for the county after members of council and the alliance board pointed fingers at each other as the alliance folded.

"It's really just the first step," Councilman Rick Caporale said. "We've got to get to a funding scheme. and we've got to select an alliance.

This is sort of like the philisophical underpinnings."

Follow reporter Stephen Fastenau at twitter.com/IPBG_Stephen.

This story was originally published June 5, 2015 at 6:40 PM with the headline "Beaufort County may form corporation to lead economic development."