By Ken Jackson
Staff Writer

The Osceola County Board of County Commissioners put its stamp of approval on a county-wide cooperative economic development initiative Monday, and awaits the same from the cities of Kissimmee and St. Cloud to bring the Greater Osceola Partnership for Economic Prosperity (GOPEP) to fruition.

Commissioners voted 3-1 to approve a plan presented to the three government boards in July to create a unified, region-wide economic development plan, rather than compete against each other for business and resources.

Part of setting up GOPEP includes populating its governing board, which will be made up of one appointee each from the county, Kissimmee and St. Cloud, a Valencia College representative and two at-large county residents who carry a major economic or business presence in the community that will be chosen on a rotating basis by the three commissions.

That board will be tasked early on to hire an executive director, a de facto CEO of county economic development, who has the area’s best interests for growth in mind.

Commissioner Frank Attkisson was not present Monday, and Chairman John Quiñones cast the dissenting vote, saying he felt there are already departments and personnel that could satisfy the aims of this new county co-op initiative.

“Anytime you expand government you have to think long and hard about what you’re doing,” he said. “I don’t agree with the concept in this way, but if it passes I won’t be a critic. I want to look at the duplicity it creates, and we should consider eliminating other (economic development) departments, even our own. The hierarchy of the Tourist Development Council could accomplish what we’re trying to outline here.”

Commissioner Fred Hawkins said he sees GOPEP as a consolidation of government instead of expanding it, and Brandon Arrington, in response to Quiñones’ concerns about trusting the cities to be equal partners, said the initiative is less a move for trust than a move to build economic development.

“And if this doesn’t work, we can blow it up and start over again,” Arrington said.

County Manager Don Fisher noted that St. Cloud “is on board” with the plan as-is, and the Kissimmee City Commission should take up the issue within the month, although it may make suggest some outline changes.

GOPEP will receive a startup budget of $440,000 to begin its operation. Fisher said $300,000 will come from the county and Kissimmee and St. Cloud will kick in $80,000 and $60,000 respectively. The GOPEP board will also have access to other county economic development grants.

On Monday, the board also approved, at county staff’s recommendation, to move $131,000 from county reserve funds earmarked for contingencies in order to fund six existing Community Services Grant Program items.

Commissioner Mike Harford voiced his support of spending the money, noting a concern for decreasing support to groups that can use that support to sustain themselves.

“They bring back more in local impact than we match,” he said. “It’s a real multiplier.”

Fisher noted that adjustments would be made to next year’s county budget to offset the added spending.