Is this really necessary?

The Beeville Economic Improvement Corporation (EIC) board apparently is intent on hiring a new city economic development director.

Next week those members will meet to pare down a list of five candidates for the new position and ask City Manager Tom Ginter to conduct interviews of the finalists.

But isn’t that a duplication of efforts? We already have an official in charge of economic development, Joe Montez, executive director of the Bee Development Authority, which includes city participation.

From the BDA’s inception, this newspaper has encouraged all local governmental entities to work together in this vital capacity. BDA’s charter includes the entire county – not just Chase Field – by design to serve wherever it’s needed.

We are much too small a community for every group to be going out on separate missions to attract and retain business and industry. We need a unified, coordinated approach.

If the city hires another economic development director, what’s to stop the county from doing the same? Or the Chamber of Commerce? Or the college? Or even Pettus and Skidmore?

Maybe they could talk over each other and elbow each other out of the way when trying to make sales pitches to companies or offer incentives for them to locate here.

Why do we need to create a new position, costing $50,000-$70,000 a year plus office expenses, in this property tax poor region of South Texas, during this troubled economic period in our nation’s history, when we already have someone doing that job?

Besides, voters have already approved $200,000 a year for city infrastructure improvements and the majority of the rest of the 4B sales tax funds are designated toward efforts, such as the BDA, to create jobs.

The city, county, Chamber and BDA have worked well together in the past to attract such businesses as Sikorsky and Wal-Mart Supercenter to Beeville.

Why can’t they continue working together, instead of wasting our precious resources by creating a redundant position?

Economically, this makes no sense. We urge the EIC board and City Council to reconsider the BDA’s presentation to consolidate administrative work of the EIC.