Council directs staff to pursue KEDC seat for Innovation Black Chamber; funding request to be considered in budget process

The Killeen City Council voted 7-0 on March 4 to direct staff to add an additional seat on the Killeen Economic Development Corporation (KEDC) board for the Innovation Black Chamber of Commerce (IVCC), following a presentation from IVCC leadership and extended council discussion.

The move followed a 30-minute presentation by “Mister Russell,” who identified the Innovation Black Chamber of Commerce as an organization focused on business education, access to capital and community-centered events. "Our mission here is to cultivate an innovative and equitable ecosystem," Mister Russell told the council, and he asked the city for an annual service agreement of $250,000 to support programming, marketing and a market-research effort aimed, among other goals, at attracting a grocery store to North Killeen.

Why it matters: Council members praised IVCC’s events and downtown work but expressed concern about the timing and the city’s current budget constraints. Several council members said they support giving IVCC a…