Cabarrus leaders want accountability from EDC

Mar 3, 2010 — Independent Tribune

Karen Cimino Wilson

Mar. 3, 2010 (McClatchy-Tribune Regional News delivered by Newstex) -- CONCORD -- -- With the strain of the recession weighing heavily in Cabarrus County government this week following last week's layoffs, Cabarrus County commissioner's turned their attention to the Cabarrus Economic Development Corporation at their retreat on Friday, questioning whether the organization was doing enough to warrant its existence.

The EDC is charged with bringing new business to Cabarrus County. It also proposes incentive grants designed to draw businesses to the area.

County Manager John Day said some of the EDC votes have been done by e-mail recently without a lot of discussion prior to the decision to offer incentives to various businesses.

"It's been less than desirable," Day said.

Commissioners said they want the EDC to bring quarterly reports to their meetings to give them an update on what's happening with big vacant properties like the Philip Morris (NYSE:MO) cigarette manufacturing plant, which closed in 2009, and smaller ones sitting empty around the county.

Commissioner Vice Chairman Liz Poole said she wants more accountability from the EDC.

"There's a fair amount of money that flows and there needs to be a fair amount of accountability," she said.

Commissioner Chairman Jay White said he views the EDC like a realtor for the county.

To which, Poole said, "If my realtor doesn't do a good job, I'm going to dump them. There is some frustration on our part for lack of knowledge."

John Cox, chairman of the Cabarrus Economic Development Corporation, who said he was caught off guard by the commissioners' comments, said the EDC is working hard on the county's behalf.

"I'm in Washington, D.C., meeting with our Congressional delegation, talking about infrastructure needs for Cabarrus County and talking about the projects we're trying to bring to the county, and about additional dollars we're trying to bring to the N.C. Research Campus," Cox said.

Cox also cited the January announcement that Celgard, a Charlotte-based company that develops and produces battery separators used in lithium-ion batteries, plans to invest $90 million and create 300 new jobs locally when it builds a new facility in Concord.

"We just had the governor in Cabarrus County on Jan. 20 discussing the Celgard project, which is more than 200 manufacturing jobs whose salary will be more than $50,000 per year in a 200,000 square-foot facility," Cox said.

Day said he was surprised recently with the lack of information provided by the EDC staff to the board regarding a recent audit.

"The board does not expect a whole lot of the EDC. There seems to me to be more and more separation. The EDC board met Thursday afternoon. One of the members who is the chairman of the audit committee, gave the audit report," he said. "The only part of the audit given to the board members was the balance sheet. Then the report was given. That's a pretty odd way of going about business with your board."

White said he wants a better understanding of the EDC's mission and goals.

"I don't even know what the mission is except to bring businesses to Cabarrus County. That's nice, but how," he said. "What are your goals that we can use to measure success?"

Commissioner Bob Carruth said he thinks requiring the EDC to make a quarterly report to the county commissioners would help improve the organization's accountability.

Cox said he plans to calm commissioners fears about the current economic situation and the efforts the EDC is making to help improve it.

"In these economic times, every economic development group in the country has to continually prove its relevance. It's certainly our job to demonstrate our relevance and our return on the investment," Cox said.

Contact reporter Karen Cimino Wilson: 704-789-9141.

Newstex ID: KRTB-0293-42517394