By James Coulter
To help facilitate its growing workload and the implementation of new initiatives, the Lake Wales Economic Development Council (EDC) is seeking an increase of $50,000 from the city to help hire an additional staff member.
At their workshop on Jan. 15, 2025, , Lake Wales city commissioners were presented with a request by City Manager James Slaton for an increase of $50,000 to the EDC’s contract to help hire a new staff member.
Skip Alford, Chamber of Commerce and EDC, explained that the new hire would be “crucial for the EDC to effectively carry out its mission and achieve its goals in the coming years,” according to City Clerk Jennifer Nanek in the agenda minutes.
Mayor Jack Hilligoss inquired about the specific amount of $50,000 and how those funds would be utilized. Alford answered that the $50,000 would go toward hiring the new staff member, specifically with the credentials of “strong project management skills.”
Alford also explained that a portion of those funds would go towards “minor building maintenance and upkeep, such as addressing unforeseen issues like the damaged oak tree.”
As Nanek wrote: “Mr. Alford emphasized that the primary focus of the budget increase is to enhance the EDC’s staffing capacity and improve its ability to effectively pursue economic development opportunities.”
The current EDC budget, according to Hilligoss, consists of $125,000 from the City and $31,000 from partner contributions. He asked if the partners could potentially help contribute to the fund increase.
Alford replied that, while “partner contributions have increased slightly”, he had not yet approached them to request an increase in contributions.
Commissioner Keith Thompson expressed skepticism about the city funding non-governmental organizations (NGOs) such as the EDC. He inquired about alternative funding models like matching grant programs and other models that “encourage self-sufficiency and minimize the city’s long-term financial commitment.”
Another concern he had, as Nanek wrote, was the “need for clear, measurable outcomes and a focus on long-term sustainability.” He stated that the EDC “should focus on quantifiable results, such as job creation and economic growth, to justify its funding requests.”
