Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Economic Development topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Commission votes to rescind withdrawal from local EDA amid grant concerns
Summary
After heated debate over leadership and grant risk, the commission voted to resend its earlier withdrawal letter to the Economic Development Agency (EDA), reversing the prior intent to opt out.
Loudon County commissioners voted on June 2 to withdraw the county’s prior withdrawal — effectively rescinding the commission’s earlier letter of intent to opt out of the regional Economic Development Agency (EDA) — after extended debate over the EDA’s value and the legal risk of losing state and federal grants.
Commissioner Whitfield moved to “resend our letter to the EDA” and said he was concerned that opting out could jeopardize federal and state grants to multiple county departments. “If we opt out, that we will lose all grants,” Whitfield said, citing a legal opinion he had received. He argued that continuing engagement would preserve access to millions of dollars in grants for the health department, sheriff’s office and road projects.
Other commissioners sharply criticized EDA leadership and past performance. A member of the commission said the EDA had become “a long, obsolete organization” and described its director, Jack Qualls, as not acting in Loudon County’s interests. Speakers said the interlocal agreement governing the EDA (which multiple jurisdictions signed years earlier) is difficult to change and obligates county contributions based on industrial‑property metrics.
After debate the commission took a roll call. The votes recorded in the transcript show the motion to resend the letter carried on the floor (seven in favor, two opposed). The commission discussion included calls to continue pressing concerns about the EDA at its board meetings, and one commissioner said he would work from inside the EDA to seek reforms.
The commission’s action does not itself change the interlocal agreement language; commissioners noted formal changes to the interlocal agreement would require agreement by all signatory jurisdictions. The commission also discussed that the county’s budget contained the EDA contribution for the current and forthcoming year and that a future meeting may consider sending an additional letter or taking other steps depending on EDA responses.
