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Our Opinions There is more work going on for community development and economic development in Clarke County and southwest Alabama than there has ever been. The future looks brighter than it ever has and we are proud of the work that is being done by elected officials and private citizens alike. This newspaper has long promoted and advocated more efforts in community and economic development. Our success as a county and a region depends on the work that we do to make it happen, not on what someone else does for us. All of that being said, we are going to ask a question that some may not want to hear or to address. But given all of the efforts going on, it is one that needs to be talked about: Are we overextending and overreaching in our community and economic development efforts, at least from a financial standpoint? First we had the chambers of commerce, a county and municipal industrial development boards working to promote business and industry. We still have them. A few years ago, the Clarke County Community Deve-lopment Foundation (CDF) was formed to promote economic and community needs. About the same time, the Economic Partnership, a coalition created by the county and its three major municipalities, was organized and the two operated together as almost one entity for a while. But there were differences, philosophical differences, operations differences and personality differences and the groups split, probably for the best for both. The CDF says its focus is now more on community and lifestyle needs. The Economic Partnership is still operating, focusing on economic development. Along the way, Thomasville created its own economic development department with a full-time developer. A few months ago the Twin Rivers Economic Development Partnership was formed to promote the Clarke and Choctaw counties region to business and industry. Twin Rivers most recently agreed to partner with Coastal Gateway, a similar but more established organization so as to gain the help of an experienced developer. Have you lost count of these groups yet? We have. Now, comes another regional development partnership proposal, one out of Mobile suggesting a partnership of Baldwin, Clarke, Escambia, Mobile and Baldwin counties to work on projects relating to the new ThyssenKrupp steel mill. All of these have merit and purpose, no doubt. All are well intended. But all cost money. Every one of these organizations has overhead, some with offices and personnel. All require money to operate. All are soliciting for funds- from private business and industry and from area municipalities and county governments. The money isn't minor. We aren't picking on these groups but mention the following because of recent appropriations or requests: $52,000 from the county commission for Twin Rivers and a $25,000 request to the Jackson City Council for the CDF. We would say fund them all, if it was possible. But we wonder if it is financially feasible or practical. Some of the overlapping are territorial problems with local governments and entities wanting to protect and promote their own turfs. Some are a a result of individual differences and philosophical differences. But mostly the duplication is out of an honest but overzealous desire to "do something" to recruit industry and to better our county and region.
We need to look at all of these organizations and see where we are duplicating efforts and where we are wasting resources. We want growth and development but we shouldn't break the public coffers in the process. Community and economic development is important but local governments have other fiscal responsibilities, too.
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