Delaware County lands Economic Development Director
April 7th, 2009 by Jim HilzIn one of my first posts, I discussed how the Delaware County Commissioners were looking for an extremely needed Economic Development Director. Today, I want to applaud the Commissioners for persevering at landing Gus Comstock, former Economic Development Director for the City of Delaware, for the position.
This position is valuable to all in Central Ohio and the fact that it had been vacant for 18 months was unacceptable. Good for the new commissioners to remain focused on solving this immediate challenge. Here’s a recap of the story from This Week news.
Development post County ups ante to secure Comstock
Saturday, April 4, 2009 7:03 PM
By CANDACE PRESTON-COY
ThisWeek Staff Writer
Delaware city development director Gus Comstock — who last week turned down the job of Delaware County development director at $87,000 a year — will take it at $91,000.
County commissioners Tommy Thompson and Todd Hanks on March 30 voted to increase Comstock’s pay offer to $91,000.
Comstock is too valuable to the future of Delaware County to let a few thousand dollars keep him from accepting the county’s economic development coordinator position, Thompson said.
On his application for the county position, Comstock asked for a salary of $92,000. His base salary as Delaware development director is $84,000 a year.
Comstock said the county job is a “tremendous opportunity” and he looks forward to playing a broader role in county development.
Commission vice president Ken O’Brien voted against the new offer, saying it was not fair to offer Comstock more money, when the commissioners are asking others to cut their budgets.
“I want to know where the money will come from to pay him,” O’Brien said. “We have a (budget) shortfall and I hate to take it from other people who have been effective for the city.”
Thompson said he understands O’Brien’s concerns but the county stands to lose more money than the extra $4,000 in salary through lost economic development opportunities.
Comstock can hit the ground running, he said, because he already knows who is interested in locating to the county and who could be persuaded to locate here.
Hanks said the immediate answer about where the money will come from is out of the $313,000 in carryover funds the county expects to have at the end of 2009.
That amount represents less than 1 percent of the county’s annual budget, O’Brien said, when county policy states they should have a 20 percent carryover to protect the county’s bond rating. “I think Mr. Comstock is a highly qualified individual but we’re robbing Peter to pay Paul.”
“I am real concerned that for 18 months we have not had an economic coordinator. … We have also not spent money for a 911 director,” Thompson said.
“If we continue to do this with these critical positions, we will find ourselves behind the 8 ball and we’ll pay for it for the next 10 years,” he said.
“We are at the cusp when this thing (economic development in the county) breaks open. … We need to have someone in place who understands the county,” Thompson said.
After the vote O’Brien said he will “do all I can to welcome Mr. Comstock. … There are a great many things that can be accomplished in this county. I look forward to working with Mr. Comstock.”