ANSON — Anson County Board of Commissioners voted to enter into a one-year contract with a government relationship firm located in Raleigh, Almond Miner. The firm is being hired to work on different types of economic development issues — specifically those related to the future legislative needs of the county coming up before the North Carolina State General Assembly.
The contract’s price tag for the county will come out to $5,000 a month for one year of contracted service, according to County Manager Leonard Sossoman. He added the firm stated to him they will start as early as March 1 working on behalf of Anson County.
Chairman Jamie Caudle said, “Obviously, this is something the manager and I have worked on to present to you. The efforts this contract is going to provide for us in Raleigh are both legislative goals and economic development. We all know that the commissioners can’t be in Raleigh petitioning our legislatures for needs the citizens in this County need all the time. What this contract does is put somebody in that position all the time for us.”
Caudle further explained the benefit outweighed what is to the cash-strapped County, a painful cost, saying “I highly encourage us to look at doing this option. I know this is a new concept to this County, it has been researched, the surrounding counties of us — Richmond, Stanly, Union, Montgomery- those counties some of them utilize lobbying and I feel like this is going to help us provide the essential needs for the citizens of this County in a way that the commissioners can’t do every day, day in and day out.”
Caudle went on to remind his fellow board members of just a few of Anson’s immediate financial needs; a new middle school project already underway, a $100 million project needed at the Water Filtration Plant, the jail, Sheriff’s Office, and Social Services office.
Commissioner Jarvis Woodburn agreed and spoke up in defense of the board approving the contract with Almond Miner.
“Lobbyists, and this organization, have an individual or individuals that would represent Anson County in Raleigh- any issue that we have, that we need support from the legislature, they will be there to go to bat for us,” said Commissioner Woodburn. He also pointed out Anson has a representative through Centralina representing it on the federal level, saying it only made sense to do so on a state level economically and developmentally.
Commissioners’ Kyle Leary and Priscilla Little Reid questioned if Anson would need to continue paying the AEDC $400 thousand in addition to the new firm, Almond Miner, should commissioners vote to approve the contract. Leary also wondered if the county were to no longer partner with and pay AEDC, could the County’s sales tax be used towards satisfying its financial obligation to the Almond Miner contract as it is being used currently to pay AEDC.
County Attorney Scott Forbes confirmed he saw no legal reason at the time of the meeting for why the County would not be able to do so- though he cautioned contractual obligations prohibit the change until July 1.
Even so, Commissioner Lawrence Gatewood asked for commissioners to slow down the discussion, look at a few different firms, and then select the one that is best in the state for Anson County’s needs, and that the County can afford- not just limit their options to one well known firm.
Swatting aside the argument, Caudle said, “This is a very low risk, no risk whatsoever- if we fund it and we are not happy with this firm we walk away at the end of the contract. We can cancel the contract, it states clearly within 30 days if we are not happy- if we are not seeing any results- we can walk away, no strings attached.”
Commissioner Joshua Ellerbe stated he also believed in hiring the firm — agreeing with Chairman Caudle the needs in Anson County are immediate, and made a motion for Anson County to accept the contract with Almond and Miner for a year with the addendum that if the board does not like where it is at at any time throughout the year they agree to come together and make some directional changes. Despite Gatewood’s plea to hold off on a vote, Woodburn seconded Ellerbe’s motion.
The motion passed with Commissioners’ Priscilla Little Reid, Kyle Leary and Lawrence Gatewood voting no, and Commissioners’ Robert Mims, Jamie Caudle, Jarvis Woodburn, and Joshua Ellerbe all voting in favor of the one — year contract with Almond Miner.
