Both the Chamber and Commissioner Valentino are proposing economic development be done by a private non-profit corporation. A big question is how the board will be appointed. Here is a summary of the board structures of the Economic Development Commissions (EDCs) that the Commissioner mentioned in either the presentation synopsis that he has released or during our conversation on May 14.
EDC appointed by mayors, approved by council
Jacksonville , (Chamber has Cornerstone Regional Development Partnership)
Portland
St Louis County
EDC – public/private, separate from Chamber
San Diego Region– County Supervisors appoint one, rest from other cities and businesses
Phoenix – Elected officials serve with business leaders (Pay to Play). Half of funding comes from private sector.
Completely Private- Pay to Play/Tied to Chamber
Greater Houston Partnership
City Agency
Kalamazoo
Under the Chamber
Galveston Island
Mobile County
Raleigh-Durham
Fort Worth-Dallas
Foreign Country
Saint Lucia
As you can see, there is no standard board structure. According to Valentino, all are successful. None have their county commissioners or county supervisors each appointing a personal representative on the EDC. A consolidated county with a strong mayor getting to appoint a board that must be approved by an independent council is very different. Escambia County Commissioners rarely question the board appointments of their fellow commissioners. We don’t know if Valentino intends to allow commissioners to appoint themselves to the PEDA.