The City of Orange is withdrawing its $25,000 a year support of the Orange County Economic Development Corporation for 2016. The board of the City of Orange Economic Development Corporation and the Orange City Council voted Tuesday to not pay the annual share which will be due on October 1.
George Mortimer, president of the city economic development board, said the city has previously asked for the county group to give the city quarterly reports. In addition, the city group has asked for the executive director of the county group to attend the city economic development board meetings, he said. City Manager Shawn Oubre said “We have conveyed that to their board and the executive director himself and have received no response.”
Orange Mayor Jimmy Sims serves on the county board. Orange County Commissioner David Dubose, who is also on the county economic development board, was outside the council auditorium before the city meetings started. He was talking to members of the city’s economic development board.
During the meeting, Mortimer mentioned that someone from the county had been outside begging for the city to continue its support.
Gene Bouillion, executive director of the Port of Orange, is the board president for the county economic development corporation. He said he does not know whether the other cities and groups participating in the county-wide group will do.
The Orange County Economic Development Corporation in the 2014-15 fiscal year has a budget of $228,730. The Port of Orange contributed 45 percent, or nearly $103,000. Orange County gave 30 percent, or $68,641. The five largest cities in the county pay to help based on their populations. The City of Orange is the largest and contributed the $25,000, or 11 percent. The lowest amount comes from Pinehurst with $2,820, or 1.23 percent of the budget.
EDC Board Member Dean Granger and Councilmember Bill Mello voted against with-holding the money from the county group. Councilmember Wayne Guidry was absent from the meeting.
The City of Orange is the only city in the county with its own Economic Development Corporation. Voters approved the formation of the corporation and a half-cent per dollar sales tax 13 years ago.
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