The County Commissioners' decision to transfer $75,000 to the Buncombe-Asheville Chamber of Commerce

In a previous posting, I discussed the Haywood County Board of Commissioners' decision to transfer an average of $75,000 annually since 2018 to the Buncombe-Asheville Chamber of Commerce for a “Joint” Economic Development initiative aimed at attracting businesses and jobs to Haywood County.

As I mentioned in that post, despite Haywood County sending hundreds of thousands of dollars to the Buncombe-Asheville Chamber of Commerce for this "Joint" initiative, only Asheville has seen benefits from the program. For instance, the program has generated billions of dollars and created tens of thousands of jobs in the Asheville area. In contrast, Haywood County has not experienced any new businesses, revenue growth, or job creation.

So, the question remains: why are we still spending tens of thousands of Haywood County taxpayer dollars on a “Joint” Economic Development initiative that has consistently failed to produce a single new business, job, or any new tax revenue for Haywood County since it started in 2018?

Haywood County has an independent Chamber of Commerce, which boldly states on its website, “The mission of the Haywood Chamber of Commerce is to create and sustain a successful economic environment.”

Their website goes on to further state that, “The Haywood Chamber of Commerce is a business organization with a vested interest in the community. Our organization continues to provide the resources necessary for business success, economic vitality, and a sustained quality of life in Haywood County. The Chamber is a not-for-profit 501 C(6) organization, governed by a Board of Directors and our membership, guided by core values. We provide networking and marketing opportunities, political advocacy, economic development, and professional enrichment through our mission to create and sustain a thriving economic environment.”

Is it the County Board of Commissioners’ position that the leadership and staff of the Haywood County Chamber of Commerce are incapable of fulfilling its stated mission “to create and sustain a successful economic environment" and “to create and sustain a thriving economic environment" for the residents of Haywood County? Is this the fundamental justification for outsourcing our county’s Economic Development agenda, which only results in benefiting Buncombe-Asheville’s economic growth?

Let’s assume for a moment that the leadership and staff members of the Haywood County Chamber of Commerce are indeed incompetent and incapable of fulfilling their obligations; if this is the case, then at the very least, they could still produce the same results as those achieved by the Buncombe-Asheville Chamber of Commerce on behalf of Haywood County and do so without costing Haywood County residents seventy-five thousand dollars in tax revenue annually.

If the leadership and/or staff of the Haywood County Chamber of Commerce are indeed unable to fulfill their mission, then common sense would suggest that they should be replaced by individuals capable of successfully carrying out the Chamber’s stated goals for Haywood County’s economic development.

Or is the actual reason even more disquieting?

Since all discussions about important issues that the Board of Commissioners must consider and decide upon are conducted secretly, with no public debate or discussion with residents in attendance, how can we know what is really said and why they make the decisions they decree? The Board of Commissioners doesn’t hold town hall meetings or forums to connect with its constituents and answer questions about its decisions. As a result, their actions and choices remain unclear to the general public.

I acknowledge that, at their bi-monthly meetings, they go through the motions of briefly discussing the issues to be voted on and allow proponents to speak briefly before conducting an official vote. However, it is reasonably clear that the Board members have already discussed the issue at hand and have predetermined how they will vote at the open meeting.

Our County Commissioners are failing to invest our tax dollars within our county by not directing the funds they allocate to the Buncombe-Asheville Chamber of Commerce to the Haywood County Chamber of Commerce. Led and staffed by Haywood County residents and taxpayers.

Our tax dollars should be invested in Haywood County institutions by redirecting these funds to the Haywood County Chamber of Commerce and collaborating with them to implement an economic development plan that genuinely benefits the residents of Haywood County. Failing to do otherwise would be a waste of our tax dollars and force our residents to travel to Asheville for jobs or relocate out of Haywood County for employment opportunities.

It is my firm belief that our Board of Commissioners is not living up to the standards of transparency in its deliberations and decision-making processes, which is a cause for disappointment.