As KOGT reported earlier the Orange County Economic Development Corporation is still alive. Funding for economic development has been put in the budgets for most of the entities that comprise the Orange County EDC, but despite positive comments from County Judge Brint Carlton after the Economic Development Corporation Board of Directors meeting Friday there are still some key entities with reservations about staying with the county wide economic development body.
The Orange County Port District which was the largest contributor to the EDC pulled funding from it in July. Port Commissioner Keith Wallace said he was the lone vote of the port commissioners to remain with the EDC. Wallace informed the EDC board that the Port Commissioners heard from a group called the Opportunity Alliance of Orange County that spoke against keeping the Orange County Economic Development Corporation. Wallace concluded that the group was very persuasive, and he believed now that the Port Commission has decided to leave the Economic Development Corporation it probably won’t go back the other direction.
Bridge City, Pinehurst, and West Orange all seem to be on board for a revised Orange County EDC. However, the two largest cities in the county do not seem to be as committed to it, including Vidor according to Mayor Robert Viator. The mayor although expressing optimism for the re-establishment of the corporation added it would be a tough sale to get his city council to support it. Viator compared the idea of a revised EDC as hanging the same painting just with different colors. He pointed out ten years of the previous organization with some personnel changes now would not necessarily change attitudes about the usefulness of the EDC to Vidor. Viator summarized that he was not sure he wanted to go out on a limb to support something like that.
Jay Trahan with the City of Orange attended the meeting, but gave no comment when asked about Orange’s support for a new county economic development board. The City of Orange was the first entity to pull its funding from the county wide economic development board.
Judge Carlton voiced support as did Commissioner Barry Burton, who also attended the meeting, for a revised Economic Development Corporation. Commissioner David Dubose was absent from the meeting of the board of directors on Friday. He was one of only two county commissioners, the other being Burton, to vote to continue funding the EDC back in July. That would be a majority of the Commissioners Court that could be in favor of the county joining a new Economic Development Corporation.
The board of directors has at least one candidate in mind as the new executive director to replace Bobby Fillyaw. No date has been set for another meeting at this time, but Carlton indicated a meeting could be called if discussions with any candidates for the executive director’s position are positive.
Social Media