Local & State Headlines

EDC OKs its FY '09 budget

• An Albany agency works toward a more focused approach in meeting its mission in he fiscal year that starts July 1.

Barbara Rivera Holmes

ALBANY — The Albany-Dougherty Economic Development Commission approved Tuesday a tentative fiscal year 2009 budget that reflects a new strategic plan and a shift in the way the agency approaches its work.

The $750,000 budget, which passed with a unanimous vote during the EDC’s 11:30 a.m. monthly meeting, is significantly reduced as compared with an FY 08 budget of $902,000.

Budget materials clearly define the four target areas of comprehensive economic development and how much is allocated toward each effort: recruitment, $67,000; retention and expansion, $17,500; marketing and public relations, $98,035; research and development, $25,000.

“The four targeted areas are based on our strategic plan,” said EDC Vice President Andrea Schruijer of the “Albany Together Albany” plan unveiled last month.

“I think we’re just really excited about the things that can be done,” she said.

“There is the young talent that wants to move forward,” she said. “The city and county are very supportive of us, (and) the community in general is really happy with a change.

“They (the community and industry) have the commitment from the EDC to learn and do better.”

The breakdown of the budget, which counts on $250,000 each from the city of Albany, Dougherty County and the Albany Area Chamber of Commerce, is:

• Income: $750,000

• Operating expenses: $129,796

• Payroll (including salaries, taxes and benefits): $391,169

• Professional development: $21,500

• Comprehensive economic development: $207,535

In placing a greater emphasis on business retention and expansion (BRE), Schruijer announced that Justin Strickland, EDC director of special projects, would move into the new position of BRE director. She said that the special projects position will be done away with while new ones will be created.

“We are moving forward with BREP (business recruitment and expansion program),” Strickland said. “This is the changing face of economic development.”

For the fiscal year that starts July 1, the EDC has budgeted for positions specifically for recruitment and for marketing and public relations.

“We don’t do it as well as we should,” Schruijer said of the agency’s efforts at marketing. “We want to make sure that we are ahead of the game.”

The role of EDC president/director, which EDC chair Bobby McKinney is temporarily holding following Tim Martin’s resignation earlier this month, will not be filled in haste.

“It’ll be six months minimum before we begin the (search) process,” said McKinney. “We are going to be moving ahead slowly (in) thinking about adding that salary back.”

The EDC has budgeted $83,765 toward searching for new staff.

Another new effort of the EDC, officials said, is establishing an identity — “something we haven’t had in the past,” one said — as well as to ensure that the agency is a one-stop shop for industry.

The EDC budget hinges on approval of the city and county FY 09 budgets, which must be adopted by June 30, as well as that of the chamber.

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