Contract negotiations between the Daviess County Economic Development Corporation and the Daviess County Commissioners have reached something of an impasse according to a story in Tuesday’s Washington Times Herald. Reporter Mike Grant says Ron Arnold, president of the EDC has requested a slot on the agenda at the next commissioners meeting and is seeking answers and direction which may determine the future of the EDC.
The story points out that the County Council voted to use Economic Development income tax funds to pay for infrastructure at the I 69 U.S. 50 interchange. Commissioner president Nathan Gabhart told the paper, “When it come to economic development, the commissioners decided which projects will be done. It is then up to the council to decide whether to support it financially. Gabhart went on to say, “The commissioners never agreed to that action.”
Arnold is concerned that the dispute of the process could hamper efforts to bring a Hampton Inn to the interchange. According to Arnold, a developer is ready to commit 9 million dollars to the project and he needed a million dollar commitment in EDIT from the county to act as security. Commissioner Gabhart has stated flatly, “I won’t support it, explaining that he thinks businesses need to risk their own money.
