The problems of partnership

The second item of this week's City Pages deals with the proposed economic development coalition between Athens-Clarke County and Oconee County. While readers who have followed me through my previous blogs know that I'm a big proponent of this initiative, my faith in the advancement of the project isn't as deep.

And it's not because of anything Athens-Clarke County has or has not done, though that's where much of the focus has been since some commissioners expressed concern over the community's financial obligations compared to representation in the long-term. The commission, it must be noted, ultimately approved the partnership and is waiting for Oconee County to take action.

It seems, however, that they may be waiting for some time.

Oconee County Commission Chairman Melvin Davis manages the agenda out here, and he doesn't seem to have any desire in moving forward with the partnership, despite the support for it by many in the business community ...

But Davis recently said he didn't think the matter would come to a vote any time in the near future and indicated his support for the program may have waned.

"I do think from a regional standpoint we may be very effective," he said. "But there's also issues, I think, that each county has to look at. We're so different from Athens-Clarke in a lot of ways. The funds that we have available -- we don't have a motel-hotel tax that we can fund this with. ... (We have a lot of) budget constraints; that's one of the concerns of this."

A variety of comments directed my way from a variety of connected individuals in Oconee County have suggested that Davis is less concerned with the financial responsibilities of such a venture, but rather is worried that a partnership with Athens-Clarke County might be too difficult to achieve. One colleague of mine suggested the differences between the two communities - ideological, philosophical, etc. - were simply too great for them to work together effectively.

To me, that might be the greatest challenge in making this thing work. Both communities have different standards for zoning, appropriate development, environmental guidelines, effective transportation solutions, etc. and etc. Finding a way to attract a major employer to this area in a way that satisfies both counties promises to be difficult.

Another individual suggested that there is little incentive for Oconee County to enter into the partnership. The county is experiencing steady, solid growth and may not want to be associated with a community that has - rightly or wrongly, truthfully or falsely - a perception of being less accommodating to businesses. In other words, according to this individual, why should Oconee County hitch its wagon to a community that is stagnant rather than growing.

While I think there is truth and fiction with regard to those perceptions, it's important to recognize that perceptions do exist. And the defeat of this proposed partnership would be damaging to any effort for Athens-Clarke County to overcome it (and by competing rather than sharing, would seem to be directly against the notion of developing such a partnership).

The potential is great. Athens-Clarke County has a vast amount of resources that, quite frankly, Oconee County won't be able to effectively generate on its own. Here's hoping Davis adheres to the recommendation of task force that worked on this proposal and moves forward with a vote.