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Economic Tools

Earlier this year, controversy unfolded when the future of the Belmont County Port Authority came into question. For several weeks, it appeared uncertain whether or not the economic development agency would be able to continue in the future. Funding was an issue, and funding was tight.

Several people – including municipal leaders in communities throughout the county – stepped up to support the port authority. Many argued that ongoing projects were at stake and the need for the services of the Port Authority was great.

The Belmont County Commissioners eventually put the issue to rest, vowing to continue funding the Port Authority and to work closely with its director and its board of directors, improve lines of communication and move forward plans for economic development.

Some have argued that with the Belmont County Community Improvement Corporation’s Department of Development and working to grow business in the county, the existence of the Port Authority and now the new Belmont County Planning Commission presented a duplication of services. County leader, however, have maintained that the more agencies that are working to bring economic development to the county, the better off the county’s economic future will be.

That sentiment has apparently echoed to Jefferson County. In recent weeks, officials in Jefferson County have been working to establish its own county Port Authority.

There are already economic development agencies working to bring businesses to Jefferson County. Project Alliance has been in existence for years, and in fact, that agency operates under the umbrella of the Jefferson County CIC and is behind the plans to bring a port authority to the county. The city of Steubenville already has a port authority, although current plans for the new Port Authority call for the city’s inactive agency to be dissolved in order to establish a county-wide entity.

As Ed Looman, executive director of Project Alliance, said, a port authority is a powerful entity that will bring “another tool to the economic development belt.”

Other counties in Ohio also have existing departments of development working in conjunction with port authorities. Port Authorities work with businesses that may be interested in developing new sites in an area and have the ability under the law to do a few more things.

Additionally, leaders in these understand that the more soldiers they have on the front lines in the battle for economic development, the greater the possibility of bringing more jobs to the area.

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