Orange County NC Website
55 <br />III. EC®N®MIC REVEL®PM]ENT/ARTS/T®UI2ISM <br />Limitations exist on how economic development functions within <br />Orange County can be effective. Some attention is paid to Tourism <br />and Arts but the driving factors are oriented toward opportunities <br />for economic expansion within a narrowly defined set of <br />parameters. Suggestions for are offered for more study: <br />A. Move the Arts function to a reporting relationship with the <br />County's Library. Abetter fit exists between the mission of the <br />Library and Arts than does the current alignment. <br />B. Consider a split of Tourism and Economic Development as a <br />reporting relationship. Both have separate advisory boards and the <br />mission of Tourism although related to Economic Development is <br />focused on the singular mission of `heads-in-beds'. <br />Consider fi~.rther study of the Economic Development function. <br />Within Orange County, economic development has a differing <br />meaning than elsewhere within North Carolina. Land use <br />regulations, utility extension policies and a variety of other issues <br />impact `traditional' economic development found elsewhere. <br />Some thought might be given to moving the function of economic <br />development as an element where direct oversight is provided by <br />the County's Planning Director.. Title changes and appropriate <br />analysis would consider how to accomplish the move. <br />The County needs to identify the infrastructure elements needed to <br />support economic development and commit financial support. <br />IV. BZJDGETING/FINANCE/PURC]EIASING - <br />Two of the early retirements will be the current Budget Director <br />and Finance Director. Replacements will be new hires. <br />My recommendation is to create the position of Deputy Finance <br />Director to assume the oversight of budgeting functions. The staff <br />4 <br />