Student Corner: How Counties Organize to Carry Out Economic Development (part III)

Community and Economic Development – Blog by UNC School of Government

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Student Corner: How Counties Organize to Carry Out Economic Development (part III)

By CED Program Interns & Students

Published July 20, 2012

This is the third in a series of posts to illustrate different ways that counties in NC organize to carry out economic development activities (links to parts I and II). Each post will profile a different county’s economic development entity, including its structure, funding, staffing and reporting requirements. Pros and cons of each organizational structure will be discussed along the way.

Onslow County

Onslow County (population 177,772) is located in the southeastern North Carolina. The county includes six incorporated municipalities including Jacksonville, the county seat. Camp Lejeune, a major U.S. Marine Corps Base with more than 43,000 marines and sailors, is located in the county. According to the State Treasurer’s Office, Onslow County’s annual budget was approximately $171 million in 2010.

In Onslow County, economic development activities are carried out through a non-profit organization, the Jacksonville Onslow Economic Development (JOED) Corporation. Prior to 2001, economic development had been a function of county government. In 2001, the county spun off its economic development department as a separate, self-governing nonprofit 501(c)(6) organization. JOED is a partnership between the county, the City of Jacksonville and the Committee of 100, which represents business leadership from across the county. JOED is a single point of contact for economic development prospects representing the county government, the City of Jacksonville, and business leadership.

JOED has two full-time staff and an annual budget of approximately $450,000. Fifty percent of its budget is drawn from private sources and 50 percent from public sources (65% County, 35% City of Jacksonville). The executive director of JOED reports to an independent board of directors which is appointed by the Committee of 100 and represents interests from across Onslow County. The board is comprised of 39 members; 18 elected by the Committee of 100, 18 ex-officio, and 3 emeritus. Board members serve 1 year terms (terms may change to 2 or 3 years when next set of by laws are passed). The executive director provides an annual report to the county commissioners on progress toward the county’s economic development goals.

Additional case studies and lessons learned to come…

Vincent Monaco is a recent MCRP/MBA joint degree graduate from the UNC Department of City and Regional Planning and Kenan-Flagler Business School.