Group trims efforts in light of uncertain funding from city

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By Alex Bridges -- abridges@nvdaily.com

WINCHESTER -- The Winchester-Frederick County Economic Development Commission has had to scale back its efforts to promote area business growth.

The situation may not change much if the city doesn't fund the group's budget request for the current fiscal year.

The commission on Friday unanimously approved its draft budget for fiscal 2011, which includes revenue of $461,055 -- an amount slightly above its current financial plan due to additional non-local income.

The EDC should keep its proposed budget at the adopted fiscal 2010 spending level of $447,555, Executive Director Patrick Barker told the commission, citing discussions he had with Frederick County staff. How the city addresses the EDC funding request remains unknown, Barker said.

"We kept in line the same kind of thought that we had last year in that the cuts that we received in [fiscal year 2010] hopefully will be temporary, with the idea that we'll see some restoring ... sometime next year or the year after," he said.

"Obviously the elements we need to be focusing on are the brand, the personnel, some level of proactive marketing and the Web site," Barker added.

The EDC's "brand" focuses on the development of existing businesses.

The City Council did not fund the EDC's entire request for the current fiscal year. But as the commission learned from Barker, the council may reconsider the request and fund all or part of the remaining funds.

Barker said he and EDC Chairman Roger Crosen met with Winchester's interim city manager, Robert "Bob" Noe Jr., to discuss the matter. Barker also recalled a recent conversation with council President Jeffrey Buettner and Councilman Art Major regarding the possible reconsideration of the funding of the EDC budget.

"For us, this is kind of a critical juncture," Barker said. "If we get into February and all of a sudden they turn around and say they're not going to fund us, that puts the county in the lurch and it puts us in the lurch."

"This past year we were able to at least recover most of the city's $72,000," Barker added. "I would be very surprised if we were able to do that this year."

According to the current budget, excluding staff salaries, 74 percent of the EDC's spending goes toward existing business development and 26 percent on new business development. If the city doesn't fund the EDC's request for the next budget, Barker warned the commission may have to make more cuts to its existing business development efforts.

The EDC has not received word on a deadline to submit its budget proposal, but that date usually falls sometime in early December, Barker said.