Spend for Development

ditor, News-Register:

OK, so let me get this straight: We have a surplus of nearly $1 million, and of that, city planners want $171,972 to go to “stuff”: $400,000 to go to street paving, $140,000 to go to a pay raise, and the rest to be distributed among city administration and “pet projects.” Of all that, only $50,000 was earmarked for the Ohio Valley Development Corp., and $5,000 toward Web site improvements — investments that could possibly promote city growth.

Now, I’m sure everyone has their own ideas about how this surplus should be spent, but I am disappointed in the plan City Manager Robert Herron came up with. Does he live in a different Wheeling than I do? It may be true that the city needs a new snow plow and front-end loader, and we certainly could use street paving, but the Wheeling I know has an immediate, greater need — for investors, employers and development.

I believe that the City of Wheeling has an obligation to meet this greater need and may miss out on a key opportunity to do so under Robert Herron’s current plan. I would therefore like to suggest the following alternative plan to City Council:

? Hire a top advertising agency to provide insight into how and where we should be advertising our already existing programs, low-cost labor, reasonable real estate and unique heritage to reach those businesses and individuals capable of making an investment in Wheeling. I would like to clarify that we do not need another “study” — but I do believe “expert advice” that could immediately be put to use toward a “practical goal” would be useful and worthwhile.

? Take the “lion's share” of our surplus and use it exclusively to advertise in those venues determined above to be best, which my own non-expert opinion believes would include, at a minimum: the Internet and business, real estate, and investment journals.

? Instead of a meager $5,000 toward what I expect would be “limited” improvements to the City of Wheeling Web site, spend more — and bring many of the city departments online, in a fashion similar to other progressive cities and “business4wv.com.” Additional investment to cross-promote existing internet resources such as the Heritage Trail Web site, Regional Development Web site, and the Convention & Visitors’ Bureau Web site probably wouldn’t hurt, either.

? Hire a new city employee — which would run $20,000 to $50,000 for an entire year — whose sole job is to write press releases to business, investment, and real estate journals that highlight Wheeling as a “destination” city for business, tourism, and real estate investment. Inevitably, some of these releases will be picked up, and serve to educate others in distant locations about Wheeling — the first step in bringing any investment here.

? Hire a second city employee to act as a “meet and greet” liaison between city government and any new or prospective individuals, businesses, or investors — to “take the edge off” what I consider to be some “difficult” personalities and the “complex” navigation required to “get things done.” It should be easy for business and investors to work with the city, should they be interested in doing so. I do not believe that I am alone to suggest the city can be difficult to work with at times.

? Hire a third city employee whose sole job is to identify and take advantage of federal and state grant opportunities. It is my understanding that the City of Wheeling already gets grant monies for a variety of purposes, but I wonder if they could do more.

So what are some possible results of this alternative plan?

Three new jobs, and an organized campaign to bring investment here, which in turn should bring: a) an increase in residential real property investment; b) an increase in commercial real property investment; c) an increase in business investment/development; and as an end result — d) organic growth that would provide both jobs and tax revenue for future surpluses, i.e. “everything else.”

I believe this alternative plan could be put together for $750,000 or less, which would mean there’d still be enough left over for the pay raise — or the snow plow and front loader.

Tom Wolfe

Wheeling