by James Coulter

How many businesses and jobs has BizLINC helped create as a business incubator? How many of those businesses and jobs have been retained in the City of Lake Wales? And can the City sustain funding this incubator for the next three years?

:Those are questions the Lake Wales Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) hopes to have answered through a financial and performance audit now that BizLINC’s contract has been extended for an additional 60 days.

At their meeting on Tues., Aug. 12, 2025, Lake Wales CRA board members voted 4-0 to approve a 60-day extension on BizLINC’s contract, giving the business incubator enough time to complete an audit report.

Mayor Jack Hilligoss requested to recuse himself from the discussion. “Since the city of Lake Wales began its relationship with BizLinc and FDC, my friendship with Mr. Blue has grown to the point I felt it wasn’t appropriate for me to vote on this issue.,” Hilligoss said.

On July 25, 2022, BizLINC entered a three-year $1.2 million contract with the City of Lake Wales. On June 24, 2025, the business incubator requested a proposal to renew their contract for an additional three years.

Currently, BizLINC is undergoing an end-of-the-year audit, which has yet to be completed. As such, they have requested a 30-day extension to their contract to provide them more time to complete their audit report.

Deputy Mayor Robin Gibson asserted that his main priority was to ensure that BizLINC would make a sound return on the city’s investment, especially in terms of increased property values and generated revenue.

“That’s primarily what we are about: bricks and mortar and increasing property values,” he said. “That property value is what we are about because that is our lifeblood. We do not want to be bleed. We want to add to the blood so we get better.”

“What we have to be concerned about here is making a good business decision,” he later elaborated. “We make good business decisions because it is public money. It is not our money. We are a fiduciary for the public’s money. That is critically important.”

City Manager James Slatton mentioned how BizLNC initially requested a contract extension for $300,000 annually. The incubator had since agreed to reduce its proposal to $420,000 over three years. As such, each year’s subsequent funding would be contingent on the previous year’s funding.

In that regard, Deputy Mayor Gibson mentioned his concerns were two-fold: the overall improvement of BizLINC’s headquarters and the participants in the incubator program. The latter concerned him most, especially with concerns about the program’s overall sustainability.

“If they cannot sustain this business, and if the value of the building does not increase enough, and if the participants do not put money into property values enough to cover the $420,000 we are being asked to invest, we are not just talking about getting it back, but also increasing it. If they cannot do that, and the business is not sustainable, we are done,” he explained.

Commissioner Carol Gillespie inquired about the number of businesses being created within the City of Lake Wales, especially within the Northwest District, where the business incubator is located. She felt that the prospect required further analysis.

“If they are spinning off businesses, then having those businesses located in Lake Wales…that would be great if BizLINC could be the core of that, to get all those businesses up and running. But we need to know more about what is going on there,” she said.

Commissioner Keith Thompson was in favor of extending the contract to ensure BizLINC completed its audit. However, he expressed unease at the prospect of demanding the incubator create businesses and jobs only for Lake Wales.

“The idea that we need to be in control of these businesses makes me feel icky,” he said. “I do not think that is our responsibility. [If] they have gone outside of Lake Wales, that is their choice. I don’t have to like it, but that is their choice. They may find greener pastures somewhere else, and we will have to deal with that if we want a business incubator.”

City Manager Slaton suggested allowing the contract to expire and creating a new one to better facilitate negotiations and changes. However, Deputy Mayor Gibson rebuffed the idea, stating quite emphatically, “You do not allow a contract to expire and do nothing.”

CRA board members eventually motioned to extend the contract for an additional 60 days, with a report expected within 30 days. The motion passed with a 4-0 vote.