New year, same result for county economic development plan
The first attempt in the new year to jumpstart Beaufort County's economic development dreams fizzled and vanished Monday afternoon.
County Councilman Stu Rodman had hoped to compel leaders to decide whether to partner with an existing economic development group next month, but the idea drew the scorn of several of his peers and local mayors, who argued such a move is premature.
"The fundamental question is not whether we join an alliance," Councilwoman Alice Howard said. "We don't know what we want. If you went around and asked each of us ... you'd get a different answer. We should show a leadership position and show what we actually want before we join an alliance."
Local mayors agreed, sounding off on the issue in an email chain last week. Despite meeting with Rodman to discuss a new strategy over the past six months, they say they aren't ready to support such a move.
"For some reason, beyond my imagination, there seems to be an incredible rush to spend in the neighborhood of $500,000 or more ... in something for which there is no transparent plan," Beaufort Mayor Billy Keyserling wrote last week.
Bluffton Mayor Lisa Sulka and Hilton Head Island Mayor David Bennett asked the county not to consider formally joining a group until county leaders can come to some consensus about how to attract businesses to the area.
They want the county and its towns to follow through on a resolution passed last summer to form a nonprofit corporation, with a board of directors representing each area of the county that would hire a staff director to lead economic development efforts.
"Please know that I 100% agree with Mayor Keyserling on this response to my letter to you," Sulka wrote Friday. "To summarize: We ask that the county get a framework and plan first and foremost, before considering joining any alliance or taking any action toward joining an alliance."
Monday's heated, hour-long debate revealed old wounds over how a divided County Council has -- and hasn't -- tried to come to an understanding about economic development over the past year.
The council has been in an ideological tailspin on the issues since a faction of the council effectively forced the dissolution of its economic development arm, the Lowcountry Economic Alliance, in late 2014.
But a visibly frustrated Rodman argued joining a new alliance is a pivotal first step to give the county a new direction.
"We need to get on with the economic development decision," Rodman said. "We've been at it for a long time. I think it's time we come to some closure."
Rodman and council members Cynthia Bensch, Rick Caporale and Steve Fobes supported the plan and prefer the county join the Southern Carolina Alliance, a nonprofit that facilitates business development in Allendale, Bamberg, Barnwell, Colleton, Hampton and Jasper counties.
The municipalities "said we're stuck, we're looking to y'all to move forward," Bensch said. "We need to nail this down ... we've been talking about this for over 14 months, and now we're back to 'Let's just kick that can down the road.'"
The latest disagreement leaves the county in the same lurch it has been in over the past two years, in which disagreement among council members washes away efforts before any progress is met.
Councilman Jerry Stewart, the council's longtime economic development hawk, said the group must drop its disagreements to ensure that some kind of strategy moves forward this year.
"We can't afford another bad decision," he said. "The press and community have made that clear."
Follow reporter Zach Murdock at twitter.com/IPBG_Zach and at facebook.com/IPBGZach.
Related content:
Jan. 9, 2016 Finding an affordable place to live likely will get harder this year, a trend that could spell trouble for our area, which is dependent on a low and middle-income workforce to staff restaurants, hotels, golf courses and spas. | READ
- Mayors blast Beaufort County Council for lack of plan, Nov. 29, 2015
- Beaufort County may form corporation to lead economic development, June 5, 2015
This story was originally published January 11, 2016 at 8:32 PM with the headline "New year, same result for county economic development plan."