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Winnsboro EDC debates changing bylaws to reduce required council membership, seeks more Main Street reporting
Summary
At a Winnsboro EDC workshop board members debated removing or reducing a bylaw requirement that two to three city council members sit on the EDC board, discussed regular reviews of Main Street staff and EDC-paid positions, and proposed bylaw language changes; motions were made but no formal vote was recorded in the transcript.
Board members of the Winnsboro Economic Development Corporation debated whether to change the EDC bylaws that currently require two to three city council members on the board and discussed increasing oversight and reporting from Main Street and certain staff paid with EDC funds.
One board member proposed deleting the bylaw requirement that two or three council members must sit on the EDC and instead require at least one council representative. "I'm suggesting that we, seriously examine the idea of changing the bylaws of the EDC, specifically to delete the requirement that 2 or 3 city council members must be on EDC," the speaker said. The speaker said the suggestion came from workshops and practices in neighboring jurisdictions and from feedback at training sessions.
The transcript includes survey results cited by a participant who said they polled regional EDCs: "71 percent said yes" to the question of whether the governing body serves on their EDC, and respondents varied on whether the mayor only, council only or a combination serves. The speaker characterized the survey as background for considering a change but acknowledged the Articles of Incorporation and the city council's legislative authority.
Opponents urged caution, saying council presence helps align infrastructure, incentives and the city’s resource limits. One participant said council involvement is important "when you have people requesting incentives" and warned that if the council is no longer on the EDC the alignment between EDC recommendations and council decisions could weaken.
Board members also discussed oversight of staff positions funded in part by the EDC, including Main Street. Participants said Main Street currently has six active members (with up to nine authorized), that the Main Street director is Caroline Stout, and that Main Street minutes and quarterly updates should be presented to the EDC so the board can monitor progress and provide feedback. "I'd love to hear from the Main Street director, board member, board chairman," one board member said.
Several motions were made to change the bylaws. One motion to "accept the EDP's recommendation to remove the requirement of 3 city council members from the bylaws" appears in the record; another motion proposed modifying the requirement to require one city council member on the board at all times. The transcript does not record a roll-call vote or final approval; one exchange in the record reads "No action? Yep," indicating no formal vote was recorded in the excerpt provided.
Board members asked the city attorney to advise on the specific language and process needed to amend the bylaws and on whether the change would align with the Articles of Incorporation; the city attorney's perspective was discussed but no final legal determination appears in the transcript.
