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Mayor defends $227,000 placeholder for economic-development consultant as council presses for oversight
Summary
At a Natchitoches budget hearing, council members questioned a $227,000 placeholder for hiring a consultant to attract industry; the mayor called the figure a flexible estimate, cited previous consultant wins and said the city would use an RFP and could return to council if more funds are needed.
The mayor told council members the $227,000 line in the draft budget is a placeholder for hiring an outside firm to market Natchitoches and pursue industry expansion, and he said he expects the city will not spend the full amount. "We don't even have 400 in the budget," the mayor said, adding that the true cost could be closer to "80,000, 90,000" for the work anticipated.
Council members expressed concern that the city might duplicate work already being done by local economic developers and questioned whether the same results could be achieved through existing partners. "We do have Neda," a council member said, urging evaluation of whether existing agencies could deliver the same outcome rather than hiring a new firm.
Staff described the $227,000 as a placeholder drawn from a general market range (discussed in the meeting as roughly $100,000 to $400,000) and said the budget office would only reallocate or increase the line if a revenue source could be found or if council approved a subsequent amendment. "Every dollar is tied to a revenue dollar," the staff member said, adding later: "So another hundred thousand is not guaranteed," meaning additional transfers would require a formal adjustment.
Speakers pointed to prior work with Merchant McIntyre as a precedent for hiring outside contractors. The mayor credited outside consultants with substantial grant wins, saying work by those contractors has produced awards "almost 30 million in awards" for the city, and he said the city has benefited from targeted industry analyses produced by firms including CSRS.
Council members asked that any RFP require disclosure of prior or concurrent clients and that consultants demonstrate they would coordinate with existing local partners (NEDA and parish economic-development efforts) to avoid confusing potential industry prospects. Staff said those requirements can be built into the RFP and that the council could require the consultant selection or any larger-than-placeholder spending to return for council approval.
The budget hearing did not record a vote on the placeholder amount. The mayor said staff would include council in the RFP process and that any request above the placeholder could be brought back for a formal appropriation vote.
