Craven County scraps their Economic Development Commission, director resigns. Commissioners intent on revamping the approach to economic development | Eastern NC Now

    Publisher's Note: This article originally appeared in the Beaufort Observer.

    Serious questions have been raised, and not answered, about the effectiveness of Beaufort County's economic development program. The long-time director, Tom Thompson, has submitted his resignation effective June 30, 2012 and there have been some rumblings that the County is reassessing the role and function of the various facets of the economic development program. At a recent meeting it was reported that Al Klemm was re-writing the by-laws of the Economic Development Commission but exactly what those changes will entail has not been disclosed. Apparently Beaufort is not the only county in the region experiencing turmoil in its economic development program.

    Jim Davis, the EDC director for 17 years in Craven quit last Tuesday after meeting with the County Manager and two of the Craven County commissioners. His last day is June 30 also.

    Davis has been the highest paid economic developer in the state in recent years. Tom Thompson is the second highest paid developer behind Davis, when the $24,000 "supplement" the Committee of 100 kicks in is added to his $115,850, along with a $12,000 travel allowance. Thompson lives in Craven County. Only 44 counties in North Carolina have Economic Director positions. The average salary in 2012 was $75,586.

    Davis is reported to have used essentially the same economic development strategy that Thompson has used in Beaufort County...that of seeking economic development by getting businesses to move into the county, typically by incentives to subsidize their relocation. But as in most counties in the state, that strategy has not been very effective. It appears that the Craven County Board of Commissioners has taken a much more assertive approach than has the Beaufort County Commission to address the ineffectiveness of the economic development program.

    A source in Craven County, who declined to have his identity disclosed, said that the issue of Davis' leadership of the economic development program had been building for some time. "His resignation did not come as a surprise to me and I doubt it was a sudden thing with him. He saw the handwriting on the wall and decided to get out before they fired him or cut his salary dramatically. His salary has been a major sticking point for several years. But the lack of results is what did him in. The Committee of 100 and the EDC are just a good ole boys club in Craven County and it has finally caught up with them." The irony of that statement is obvious to those who have kept up with Beaufort's situation. So it appears that the two highest paid economic developers in the state are no out of their jobs.

    You can read more about the Craven County situation by clicking here.