Part II – Franklin County NC Economic Development
By: Steve Trubilla
First Point if you need it, please buy it in Franklin County.
I am sure you will be as unsurprised as I was to learn the Economic Development Commission meeting for the month of August 2013 has been cancelled. For the year this makes five out of eight months the meeting was not held. Translated to productivity the meetings were only held 37.5% of the time.
In general attendance by Board Members it is very poor. I checked it, there are people on this board they have not attended any meetings this year. Many of them are elected officials, Mayors, State Representatives, and key county employees. People you would think that have a vested interest in building our economy; it is their job. Conversely I was at meeting when a Board Member championed a business that was denied a permit; taking strong exception to the permit being denied. My initial reaction was “outstanding” a leader stepping up. Then I learned the land involved was owned by a family member. One has to wonder just how often this happens. Clearly he should have recused himself. When he did not the Director and or the rest of the Board should have called him on it. Ethics are not a “sometimes thing”.
Being an inquisitive person I simply asked the Director of Franklin County EDC, Ronnie Goswick, who by the way is a very pleasant person, why the meetings are not being held? In a candid manner he answered, “There was no point in holding a meeting if there was nothing to talk about.” Frankly I agree with him, why waste people’s time and your tax dollars just checking the box.
Before I get too far along I want to point something out. Of the three meeting held this year the Director was only at two of them. His actual attendance percentage for the year to date is 25% of meeting that should have been held.
I want to be fair with this. He was speaking matter -of- factly without pretense, so let’s not beat him up for being honest. But the man in the big chair does not get a pass either, nor does the County Manager or our County Commissioners, who by the way are not setting any records attending these meetings. In fact I cannot find a record of most of them even attending one this year.
It is not tolerable that we have a Senior Executive accepting 25% or 37% effective or better stated ineffective anything. “Nothing to talk about”, let’s start talking about “nothing to talk about”. Take a wild guess at just what you paid for the 2012 annual payroll for the (3) person staff of Economic Development Commission. That is right, because you, Mr. and Mrs. Franklin County paid for it. How does $240,591.00 strike you! I do not know how it was cut up, that is held pretty close to the vest, Privacy Act, don’t you now. But there are only three people on deck, and one is an admin person. Do the math.
I asked the question who does the Director works for? I was told the County Manager. Well she is accepting it. So I asked who does she work for, and was told the County Commissioners and they are accepting it. Well guess who they work for? They work for “We the People”. There is an election coming. Remember last week’s story about “Running”?
Why did I send a round across the County Manager’s and the Commissioners’ bow; simple, in my opinion leadership failure. I feel Angela Harris is an honorable person who works very hard, this also applies to many of our Commissioners. I am simply throwing a flag on this. We all know the story “if it looks like a duck”. This thing is water tight and quacks.
I am a Chain of Command leadership and management style thinker; productivity and results. Lead by example and develop your subordinates. Leaders that cannot or will not lead need to be introduced to the NFL; their job –Not For Long.
Southern Franklin Republican Club meets the last Tuesday of the month in Youngsville at the, Community House
By: Steve Trubilla
First Point if you need it, please buy it in Franklin County.
I am sure you will be as unsurprised as I was to learn the Economic Development Commission meeting for the month of August 2013 has been cancelled. For the year this makes five out of eight months the meeting was not held. Translated to productivity the meetings were only held 37.5% of the time.
In general attendance by Board Members it is very poor. I checked it, there are people on this board they have not attended any meetings this year. Many of them are elected officials, Mayors, State Representatives, and key county employees. People you would think that have a vested interest in building our economy; it is their job. Conversely I was at meeting when a Board Member championed a business that was denied a permit; taking strong exception to the permit being denied. My initial reaction was “outstanding” a leader stepping up. Then I learned the land involved was owned by a family member. One has to wonder just how often this happens. Clearly he should have recused himself. When he did not the Director and or the rest of the Board should have called him on it. Ethics are not a “sometimes thing”.
Being an inquisitive person I simply asked the Director of Franklin County EDC, Ronnie Goswick, who by the way is a very pleasant person, why the meetings are not being held? In a candid manner he answered, “There was no point in holding a meeting if there was nothing to talk about.” Frankly I agree with him, why waste people’s time and your tax dollars just checking the box.
Before I get too far along I want to point something out. Of the three meeting held this year the Director was only at two of them. His actual attendance percentage for the year to date is 25% of meeting that should have been held.
I want to be fair with this. He was speaking matter -of- factly without pretense, so let’s not beat him up for being honest. But the man in the big chair does not get a pass either, nor does the County Manager or our County Commissioners, who by the way are not setting any records attending these meetings. In fact I cannot find a record of most of them even attending one this year.
It is not tolerable that we have a Senior Executive accepting 25% or 37% effective or better stated ineffective anything. “Nothing to talk about”, let’s start talking about “nothing to talk about”. Take a wild guess at just what you paid for the 2012 annual payroll for the (3) person staff of Economic Development Commission. That is right, because you, Mr. and Mrs. Franklin County paid for it. How does $240,591.00 strike you! I do not know how it was cut up, that is held pretty close to the vest, Privacy Act, don’t you now. But there are only three people on deck, and one is an admin person. Do the math.
I asked the question who does the Director works for? I was told the County Manager. Well she is accepting it. So I asked who does she work for, and was told the County Commissioners and they are accepting it. Well guess who they work for? They work for “We the People”. There is an election coming. Remember last week’s story about “Running”?
Why did I send a round across the County Manager’s and the Commissioners’ bow; simple, in my opinion leadership failure. I feel Angela Harris is an honorable person who works very hard, this also applies to many of our Commissioners. I am simply throwing a flag on this. We all know the story “if it looks like a duck”. This thing is water tight and quacks.
I am a Chain of Command leadership and management style thinker; productivity and results. Lead by example and develop your subordinates. Leaders that cannot or will not lead need to be introduced to the NFL; their job –Not For Long.
Southern Franklin Republican Club meets the last Tuesday of the month in Youngsville at the, Community House
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