Pendleton and Grant County Development Authorities to create Joint Development Authority
May 9, 2023 - The Pendleton County Economic and Community Development Authority and the Grant County Development Authority are partnering together to form a new regional joint economic development authority. This new regional development authority will represent both counties in the pursuit and recruitment of new businesses and economic devel- opment opportunities to the region. The county commissions of both counties support and en- dorse the development of this joint development authority and believe that working together will create the greatest economic impact possible for both counties.
“We are excited about teaming up with our neighbors in Grant County. Being able to team up and share resources will ultimately allow us to be able to make a greater impact in our commu- nities”, says Dayne Davis, chairman of the Pendleton County Economic and Community De- velopment Authority. “Economic Development is all about sourcing grants and getting access to capital to help support our existing business community, but also help us get out and devel- op new opportunities. Ultimately what happens in Grant County impacts Pendleton and vice versa.”
Though the existing development authorities for both counties will continue to legally exist after the formation of the new joint development authority, the new joint development authority will be the recognized development authority to represent Grant and Pendleton Counties.
Current Local Economic Development (LED) grant funding for both counties will remain in place and be part of the regional fund for the joint development authority. Any other existing and fu- ture funding will be rolled into the joint development fund. All funds will be carefully monitored and tracked through office administrators and a yearly state audit.
Property ownership will be retained by each county. All leases will be transferred over to the joint development authority as the “property manager” and lease income will be directed to the new authority. The joint development authority board of directors will make all decisions on new and existing leases and property maintenance.
The new regional development authority board of directors will have 7 representatives from each county, selected by the county commission of each county. All decisions of the regional development authority will be governed by the board of directors.
“The partnership between Grant County and Pendleton County works as we share many eco- nomic drivers: agriculture and tourism attractions such as Dolly Sods, Smoke Hole, the river, and Seneca Rocks, to name a few”, says Jay Mongold, president of the Grant County Devel- opment Authority. “This partnership will allow us to show a greater impact on our community when applying for grant funding. Grant funding is an important aspect of economic develop- ment, and it ultimately comes down to a numbers game. Teaming up not only saves both counties money but also helps us show a larger impact on the number of folks that are impact- ed and benefited from programs we are developing.”
Laura Brown will serve as the executive director of the new regional joint development authori- ty. She is currently the executive director of the Pendleton County Economic and Community Development Authority, a position she has held since 2021. Laura also serves on the Mon For- est Towns executive board, Pendleton County Community Foundation, Pendleton County Farmland Protection Board, and Pendleton County Broadband Council.