By Traci Chapman
Published on August 7, 2008

Mustang City Council reversed an earlier decision not to participate in a countywide economic development effort Tuesday, approving the proposal 5-2.

Approval of the proposal, originally brought before Council members by City Manager David Cockrell during the city’s budget sessions, means Mustang will join other cities across the county in the Canadian County Economic Partnership.

Council members originally shot down the city’s $21,680 initial investment in CCEP in a 5-2 vote June 3. After meeting with other mayors from cities throughout the county, Mayor Jeff Landrith asked that the proposal be reintroduced to the Council.

While Ward 2 Councilwoman Kathleen Moon and Ward 5 Councilwoman Linda Hagan again voted against the city’s participation in the partnership, Landrith led the move to push the measure through.

Cockrell, who recommended the city join CCEP, said the partnership could help the city by attracting more industry and large-scale business to the county, which would then bring residents to Mustang.

“This could be a huge economic impact for Mustang,” he said.

Robert Coleman, director of the El Reno Economic Development Partnership, is spearheading CCEP.

Coleman said city leaders, county officials, business and education joining forces “just makes good sense” because more jobs and more residents would strengthen the sales tax base within the county.

“Everyone wants retail because that’s where the sales tax dollars are,” he said. “We also need industry, and we have the land for it — what we need is someone who can catalog and market those properties so we’re viable for businesses looking to bring jobs and money into the county.”

Coleman said while some cities — such as Mustang — don’t want industry within their city limits, manufacturing in surrounding areas could greatly enhance “quality of life” for residents because industrial employees would likely live and spend their tax dollars at that city’s retail establishments.

Coleman said the concept of the partnership is to define each city’s plan and combine efforts to develop a “one stop shop,” combining the resources of all of the cities and the county and making a concerted effort on “everyone’s behalf” to bring business into the county, Coleman said.

CCEP would work with the Oklahoma City Partnership, a 10-county group encouraging economic growth in Western Oklahoma, the state Film Commission, Depart-ment of Tourism and other entities, he said.

Participants pay an annual “membership” fee to participate in the group’s efforts.
That amount, determined by each city’s population, is $29,393 for Yukon, Mustang’s $21,680 fee, El Reno’s portion of $21,389 and each of the county’s smaller municipalities — Piedmont, Union City, Okarche, Calumet and unincorporated portions of Canadian County — looking at fees ranging from $702 for Calumet to $6,861 paid by the county for its unincorporated areas.

The partnership would also recruit members from businesses already located in the county, Coleman said, charging “non-municipal” membership fees — an anticipated $90,000 from the public sector and $70,000 from those entities.

Cockrell said Canadian Valley Technology Center and Redlands Community College have already agreed to participate. CVTC will provide office space for the partnership in El Reno, as well as training and assistance to employers moving into the county.
Redlands will provide its licensing for Strategic Advantage Economic Modeling Specialists and Oklahoma Virtual Community to the group.

The first step is to hire an executive director to guide CCEP’s efforts, Coleman said. Those efforts will move forward “as soon as possible,” he said.