It is a brand new committee but Warden Chris White does not foresee it having a large budget for at least several years.
The county agreed on Dec. 9 to create an economic development committee, at least partly because there was a shortage of committee positions for the number of county councillors, and some councillors were unhappy with that situation.
White said in an interview the county has been marginally involved in economic promotions over the past year or two, but “There isn’t a lot of money invested in it.”
He cited the Buy Local, Buy Fresh map, which costs $20,000, the county’s involvement with the Festival and Events Guide that is distributed to every home in Wellington, and he said he suspects the county will also see a recipe booklet from Centre Wellington expanded to reach everywhere in the county.
White said the county has applied for $70,000 to the federal government for a strategic plan, and is also hoping for support from the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs and the Community Futures Development Corporation.
“Until we get rolling, we won’t have a big budget,” the warden said.
White added the first job will be to create a profile so everyone, including people in Wellington County, is aware of what the county has to offer.
He said he expects the economic development committee will take on what he calls “orphan items” such as intergovernmental relations.
He said if the federal or provincial governments suddenly offer legislation or regulation changes the county does not appreciate, the economic development committee could prepare its response. He cited changes to the managed forests agreement as one such item.
White said the committee can also be charged with creating a sign strategy that could work for Wellington as well as the seven lower tier municipalities. He said several counties and regions have signs that knit those areas together, but Wellington does not.
For example, he said people from Acton might have no idea where the Elora Gorge, one of the county’s biggest tourist attractions, is located, and some well placed signs at the borders could make it easy to inform them. He said strategies such as including local attractions on county signs could also do that job.
He added the committee will be able to put together a package outlining such things as a county profile, industries, work force, roads and connections, and strengths and advantages – and all of that could be presented on a website.
White said if an industry in South Korea is looking to move into Ontario, it can find all kinds of information on Hamilton or Waterloo, but next to nothing on Wellington County.
He said a few years ago a bakery in Toronto was moving out of that city and looking for a new home, and Wellington missed a chance to make an offer.
White said that industry, worth $100 million and needing 300 employees, moved to Hamilton, as more recently did meat packer J.M. Schneider.
He said the idea behind the committee is to work to attract such jobs. With things as they are, “We couldn’t even give them a pamphlet,” White added.
The idea is to “facilitate business. If we hear of a plant moving, we can go to the table.”
Attractions for the county might be such things as good doctors, good schools and good shopping, plus a vibrant cultural life.
“Right now, we don’t have any of it” available for presentation, the warden said.
He added the committee could consider such things as how development charges are levied, and tailor those to attract specific businesses.
White noted Elgin County has an economic development budget of $615,000 a year, which is one per cent of its total budget, but he does not foresee that kind of spending any time soon.
He said county council has been working with the Community Futures Development Corporation on economic development, and that group includes farm and business representatives already, both of which he sees as very important to Wellington.
Centre Wellington has an economic development department, as does Minto and Wellington North, but others have nothing in place.
White noted Centre Wellington’s tourism guide was distributed a few years ago to Toronto, and more recently to Hamilton and Kitchener-
Waterloo.
He said, “We will be working together. If the lower tier needs support, we’ll be there.”
He added, “The county can help the lower tiers. They don’t have any money. The county can step in and get things done the lower tiers cannot afford.”
White said with declining industry and global economic decline, “We need to be a little more pro-active. If we can help business, that’s all to the good.”
He said that can be done while local departments remain in place.
He added there is another reason. While the county is scheduled to grow, including the population, he sees residential taxes as being a finite resource, and commercial and industrial businesses can take up some of that slack.
