Senator calls for restructuring of development partnership
By JIM FAILE
DARLINGTON - State Sen. Gerald Malloy told Darlington County Council Monday that he thinks it is time for council to reassess the Darlington County Economic Development Partnership with an eye toward restructuring it.
Malloy, D-Hartsville, said that in its two and a half years of existence the partnership has not lived up to its full potential in drawing economic development and jobs to Darlington County.
“I’m concerned about unemployment in this county,” Malloy said in a rare public appearance before council.
He said that with unemployment at 13 percent Darlington County needs more collaboration and cooperation among entities to create a favorable climate for economic development, and he said the partnership has not provided that.
“The partnership proposal has just not worked,” Malloy said.
Malloy brought the partnership concept to council in November 2007 and encouraged council to embrace it. Council adopted an ordinance in December 2007 setting up the public-private partnership that includes representatives of local government and private business and industry. But the concept has failed to produce results.
Malloy said he would like to see a system with more accountability and with measurable bench marks for success.
Malloy, who has been critical of the partnership from early on, said he has not been involved with the partnership since it was created.
He said the original organizers of the partnership stated at the time it was put together that they wanted a system that kept politics out of the economic development process, and he challenged that idea, particularly in light of the current economy. “Things have changed,” Malloy said.
“Economic development is a big issue in Columbia right now,” he said.
He said the municipal governments of Darlington, Lamar and Society Hill do not participate in the partnership and said he does not believe they are likely to start.
Malloy also said private funding that was supposed to come from participating businesses and industries to help drive the partnership and support the county’s development efforts has not materialized at the levels originally anticipated.
“I don’t think, in short, that it has served its full potential,” he said. “We need something with a structure that is both cooperative and collaborative.”
He said that when the partnership was set up it was with the intent of assessing its success or lack of success within about two years. “I think it’s time for a reassessment,” he said.
“I’m not talking about personnel but about structure,” Malloy said.
Malloy said he was not trying to tell council how to run the county. “This council runs the county,” he said. “I’m just a facilitator.”
Malloy found an ally in Councilwoman Mozella “Pennie” Nicholson of Hartsville, who said she was deeply concerned about what she sees as a lack of success by the partnership in the face of double-digit unemployment in the county.
“I’m not comfortable with what’s going on,” Nicholson said.
Among other things, she said she was concerned about the fact that the partnership’s offices are not in Darlington County but in Florence County. The partnership’s board voted to accept an offer from Florence-Darlington Technical College to relocate its offices from Darlington to the Southeastern Institute of Manufacturing and Technology (SIMT) on the FDTC campus. The Florence County Economic Development Partnership has its offices at SIMT.
“What industry has come in with the partnership?” Nicholson asked. “I don’t think council can ignore this. It’s the 800-pound gorilla in the room.”
Nicholson voted against the proposed development partnership budget presented to council for second reading Monday. The total proposed budget for the partnership for the coming budget year is $626,730.
Robert Long, executive director of the partnership, attended Monday’s meeting but declined to comment on Malloy or Nicholson’s remarks.
Malloy also used his appearance to brief council on budget issues in Columbia that will likely affect county governments in the state.
He said senators expect to receive the Senate version of a state budget this week and take it up next week.
“We’ve got unprecedented economic conditions in this state,” he said.
He said projected state revenues are $1.6 billion below levels just a few years ago and said that at the current rate it would take a decade for them to return to the levels of 2006-2007.
Malloy said lawmakers face major challenges just taking care of the core functions of state government.
In addition to the development partnership budget, council approved other budget ordinances making up a total budget package of more than $32.4 million during Monday’s meeting.
The new budget, which must receive a public hearing and one more favorable vote from council on third reading to pass, does not raise property taxes and eliminates no positions in county government, County Administrator Phyllis Griffitts said.
State restrictions on property taxes will prevent the county from raising any taxes for the coming year, Griffitts said.