Contribute an Article to the FC Concerned Citizens Website!

Kerr Tar Regional Economic Development Commission ~ are they a County Force or Just Another Farce?

11/9/2009 - On October 26, 2009, I requested some rather basic information from the KTREDC regarding their activities over the past few years. I asked that they simply complete a Scorecard-Measurement Tool which was published by them and posted on their website as part of a twelve-page, full-color, downloadable brochure entitled "Kerr Tar Together Economic Development Campaign 2007-2011". The Scorecard, found on page 7 of the brochure, allowed year-by-year success tracking in the following areas:

Product and Site Development
Infrastructure & Development Completed
# of buildings completed
# of companies selected
# of certified sites
Existing Industry Program (includes entire region)
# of local company visits
# of support packages delivered
# of financial packages delivered
# of expansion projects completed
# of expansion jobs created
# of existing jobs retained
$ new capital investment
New Business Recruitment
Recruitment plan established
# of recruitment visits
# of companies located
# of new jobs created
Internal & External Marketing
Web site
Collateral materials
# of trade shows and recruiting trips

Pat Pearson, the Office Manager who was apparently tasked with responding to my request, replied that "the scorecard that you mentioned were developed by a former contracted fundraiser for a capital campaign conducted several years ago. The actual plan that we now use to market our network of business parks was developed later by regional economic development consultants. It calls for many of the same types of activities but we do not track our activities using the scorecard".

My response was to request that the questions posed by the scorecard be answered in any format, but that those were the question to which I needed answers.

Pearson replied that "A scorecard is an excellent tool but that particular one would not be helpful because it calls for tracking items that are not relevant to our work". This, of course, was confusing to me as the entire purpose of the KTREDC is, supposedly, to perform the types of activity listed on the scorecard. My further attempts to explain that format was not relevant to me, but answers to the questions posed were what I needed were thwarted by Ms. Pearson's flat refusal to provide the requested information. She did refer me to her superior, KTREDC Director Bud Cohoon.

I've not yet spoken with Cohoon, but it does seem clear that the KTREDC is either incapable of or unwilling to account for their activity at or success at marketing of the Franklin County /Triangle North Hub site, much of which is supported with taxpayer dollars which go to the KTREDC in the form of grants. Until such accountability is provided, this group should be watched closely by taxpayers and state/federal government officials.