Editorial: Is it necessary?

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Editorial: Is it necessary?

Opinions

Friday, 19 November 2010 21:59

We’re with the opposition on wondering why a new Osceola County Protocol Office is needed to help international dignitaries hook-up with the local business community.
Don’t get us wrong. We are not saying that more and perhaps better-organized contacts might not be needed between local businesses and business officials from other countries as a way to help generate jobs beyond tourism and the higher wages that might go with it, but why can’t that be done through existing entities both local and regional.
We already have the Kissimmee/Osceola County Chamber of Commerce, the St. Cloud Greater Osceola Chamber of Commerce, the Kissimmee Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Osceola County Economic Development Department, economic development staff in both the city of Kissimmee and St. Cloud, Enterprise Florida (the state economic development agency in which the county is a stakeholder), the Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission, the Small Business Development Center, University of Central Florida business incubators in both Kissimmee and St. Cloud, myregion.org and the Central Florida Sports Commission. It seems like there are plenty of resources in place already in terms of expertise to accomplish what we want to do.
We’re with Chairman Fred Hawkins Jr. on this issue; he was the only commissioner who questioned whether this office might be a duplication of resources and whether the county could afford it in the face of likely large county budget shortfalls in the next fiscal year. He also wanted the county to go through some strategic planning first before committing to a new office, which sounded like a pretty good idea to us.
In the months leading up to the recent primary and general elections, there was a lot of questions put to candidates from voters about whether the county’s economic development office was producing results in terms of job creation and bringing new businesses to the county. Some candidates wanted to do away with this office entirely, others wanted to change its emphasis in order to help existing small businesses already in the county survive or to hold it more accountable for results.
While some of the pre-election discussion about this county department was just politics, there was enough concern to warrant a review of that office before forging ahead and expanding it. Further study of the issue, we believe, would be prudent and if a new protocol office is the only way to accomplish what we need, then so be it.