JCDC OKs a contract with county

JCDC has agreed to a contract with the county, through the end of the year.

Jay County Development Corporation’s board of directors on a 11-2 vote with two abstentions Tuesday approved a contract with the county for the remainder of 2023.

They plan to consider an agreement for 2024 once the county’s budgeting process is complete in October.

Tuesday’s vote came after a lengthy discussion about the contract, which was presented as an 18-month deal but without a financial commitment for 2024. County commissioners Chad Aker and Brian McGalliard said the amount would not be available until after Jay County Council goes through its budget process. (The budget is typically finalized in October.)

JCDC board members expressed concern about the lack of a financial commitment for 2024.

That led to board member Ron Laux asking if the contract could be limited to six months. Board members then discussed whether it was wise to enter into a short contract with no guarantees beyond Dec. 31, some asking why the contract was needed at all.

County attorney Wes Schemenaur at one point likened the negotiations to a divorce settlement, saying that there were trust issues across the board and that the contract lays out the details so everyone is on the same page.

JCDC board member Brian Alexander made the initial motion to approve the contract only for the remainder of 2023, saying he felt commissioners had made a verbal commitment to working with and funding the organization moving forward.

“I think that, at some level, you have to have trust in one another,” he said. “These guys are accountable to the public, and so is the council. … They’ve represented that their intention is to continue to work with JCDC. I think we have to take them at their word.”

Ron Laux, Bryan Alexander, Pete Byrum, John Boggs, Jack Robbins, Mark Leavell, Barb Street, Rob Keisling, Joe Johnston, Alicia Corwin, Mary Adair and Josh Atkinson voted in favor. Mike Medler and Chad Towell voted against the agreement, with Tabby Sprunger and Cindy Bracy abstaining.

As approved the contract lays out services JCDC is expected to provide, including being a point of contact for businesses interested in locating in Jay County, recruiting new business, meeting with existing businesses to ensure their needs are being met, serving as a liaison for Jay County municipalities for grants, providing resources to the county’s grant writer, assisting businesses with tax abatements and other economic development activities. The organization is also required to report to county commissioners and county council on at least a quarterly basis and provide written reports at board and executive committee meetings.

The contract also requires that a member of Jay County Commissioners and Jay County Council serve on both the JCDC board and its executive committee.

The contract calls for $41,127.49 in county funding for JCDC for the remainder of the year. (It received $105,000 earlier this year, for a total of $146,127.49.)

That’s down from $230,000 in 2024, with the elimination of the Jay County Community Development position that has been vacant for about a year. (Commissioners plan to hire someone to handle those duties, with Aker saying he’s hopeful that process can be complete by the end of the month.)

Richards pointed out that thus far, JCDC has been expected to continue handling all of the community development duties despite the elimination of the position.

In other business, JCDC’s board:

•Heard and approved the 2022 audit report from Scott Bollenbacher and Hannah Hughes of Bollenbacher and Associates. They said there was no fraud or errors found as well as no deficiencies with internal controls. The board also discussed whether an audit or review should be used next year, as Bollenbacher will no longer offer audits. (Bollenbacher said he feels a review would be sufficient.)

•Reviewed its financial report. As part of that review, they discussed private contributions to JCDC, with Brian McGalliard noting that they have gone down over the years. Richards explained that they have mostly come from banks and financial institutions, with contributions going down as banks have merged or moved resources elsewhere. They also talked about the possibility of approaching local industry for financial support.