Columbus dumps LINK funding

The City Council of Columbus, Miss., voted 3-2 during an FY 2019 budget work session Aug. 16 to pull its share ($100,000) of annual funding to the Golden Triangle Development LINK. The development agency has coordinated grants, site development, infrastructure placement and tax-increment financing plans for several projects that have located in Columbus, according to LINK CEO Joe Max Higgins. Lowndes County holds the local contract with the LINK for $400,000 annually for the past 10 years. Columbus has paid its $100,000 a year as its portion of the contract. The county covers the remaining $300,000. The city shifted the $100,000 to its professional services budget in hopes that the money will help more directly with retail development. Councilman Charlie Box said that he was “concerned” with the continued funding to the LINK after seeing a chamber-commissioned study that “showed more than $1 billion” could be spent on local retail, but was being spent outside the city retail market. "We've given (the LINK) more than $1M over the last 10 years, and we just haven't seen much on the retail development side." The influx of funds lifted the city’s professional services budget to more than $691,000 for FY-19. The services include attorney, engineering, and consulting fees, the J5 project management firm, contributions to Baptist Medical Group for treatment of city employees and dependents; and funds to hire a retail development firm to help develop retail strategies and recruit new businesses. A representative from Memphis-based NaviRetail is scheduled to appear before the council Aug. 20. If the city contracts with the company, it will cost about $37,000 a year. The LINK will not suffer financially from the council’s decision. The cost will be passed on to county taxpayers because the county is obligated to pay the full LINK contract. CEO Higgins said the LINK's footprint can be seen throughout Columbus, but that level of cooperation is subject to change. “Unless directed otherwise I will recommend that we work to locate investment in the geographic areas that support us." (Columbus Dispatch 08/17/18)