EDA what is the purpose.

EDA, Economic Development Authority, has lost its way and most certainly the purpose. The purpose of this entity is to create jobs. One of the methods of creating jobs is to obtain new businesses. Benson and Wheaton have taken this approach and have had some success.

Economic Development 101 teaches us that fewer restrictions increases business opportunities. However some communities are using EDA as a method to restrict building so that existing businesses have an edge. Ortonville has gone a step further by putting EDA and building permits in the same office. This actually restricts business opportunity and discourages economic development.

This area needs to create jobs and expand its infrastructure. We need to promote a future for our children. A sign of a dying area is the inability to create a future or even discuss a future for our children.

We need to continue to ask ourselves, what are we doing for our children?



Another point: Is Ortonville in Financial Trouble?

The June 23, 2009 Wheaton Gazette reported that the audit showed and increase in its fund balance in 2008 and the paper praised the city staff for its fine job in securing financial security for the city.

In the article the City of Wheaton EDA reported a loss and were instructed to balance that part of the budget. That coupled with street and sewer problems were the only down side of the audit.

When compared to Ortonville, the EDA was not audited independently but in reports made to the Mayor there have been comments about a small surplus in the EDA budget.

The city budget cutbacks in Ortonville have been so severe that several councilmen and the mayor continue to look at severe if not total elimination of the city police force.

The city to have some comparable. Wheaton has had more success in producing jobs that the Ortonville EDA but there appears to be a cost to Wheaton for these ventures.

Wheaton has its own police department and has a similiar population.

Citizens of Ortonville must ask themselves has the current administration expenditures been fool-hardy or are they sound investments.

Policies of spending without funding continue to plague the stability or Ortonville.