City could end charitable contributions-Administrator suggests using money to recruit business, improve image

By Lisa Hobbs

Would the community be better served if city government took the funding from non-profit organizations like Meals on Wheels and spent it on companies that might generate new jobs and a positive attitude?

Insanity is doing the same thing day after day after day, while hoping for a different result.

That was the definition given to McMinnville officials by city administrator David Rutherford when he proposed city government should try something different with $189,062 in city tax revenue.

Instead of giving to non-profit organizations, Main Street McMinnville and the Industrial Development Board, Rutherford would like to see taxpayer dollars benefit the community in other ways. In the last three budgets, the city has given $42,412 each year to social services. Those include:

‘ Senior Citizens Center ‘ $4,000

‘ Sunny Day Adult Daycare ‘ $2,000

‘ Warren County Care Program ‘ $2,500

‘ Pacesetters, Inc. ‘ $4,000

‘ Meals on Wheels ‘ $6,000

‘ UCHRA ‘ $1,912

‘ RSVP ‘ $500

‘ Families in Crisis ‘ $8,500

‘ American Red Cross ‘ $7,000

‘ Children’s Advocacy Center ‘ $6,000

‘I think it is not the best position for us to be in where we take tax dollars when people pay their taxes and then the board sits down and decides which group gets money,’ said Rutherford. ‘I know they are all worthy causes. What I’m asking you is do you want to continue that policy or go in another direction’?

For the 2007-2008 fiscal year, the city gave Main Street McMinnville $50,000, the same as in years past, and the Industrial Development Board $96,650, up from $46,650 the previous year.

Instead of continuing with what has not worked in the past, Rutherford would like to hire companies ‘ one would bring in businesses and the other would work to battle community negativity ‘ using the money.

The company to bring in businesses, Buxton Identifying Customers out of Texas, has been an industry leader in customer analytics since 1994. Buxton determines the community’s customer base, called a trade area. Buxton then uses that information to determine what retail businesses would succeed and where, with a high degree of confidence.

‘When you absolutely know who and where your customers are, then you have the keys to success,’ said Buxton president and CEO Tom Buxton in a statement on the company’s Web site www.buxtonco.com. ‘Buxton will help you attain this success.’

At a cost of $70,000, the company will identify three geographic locations or specific sites and a list of 20 contacts for businesses that might be interested in those sites. Also, the city will receive the site and customer information, backed by the company’s success record, to draw in new businesses on its own.

The second company, at a currently unknown cost, would be a public relations company that would work to answer two questions: Why is the community so negative? And how do we train ourselves to project a positive attitude to people who visit the community?

‘I’ve been able to be with new folks in the community,’ said Rutherford. ‘They say, ‘This a beautiful place and it is so nice. I love living here.’ Right out of the person’s mouth that they are talking to is, ‘Yeah, but you can’t get a job here. Carrier left.’ That’s nothing but poison. We’ve got to change that.’

According to Rutherford, the community is projecting negativity about the availability of jobs and the economic outlook.

‘A negative outlook does not help bring in new business,’ said Rutherford.

Although Mayor Royce Davenport said he would support something that would help the community, Alderman Jimmy Haley doubts just having more information will be helpful when he added, ‘You can have all the information and numbers you want, but unless you act on it, which costs more money, the information is useless.’

Rutherford also suggested officials take a look at the other contributions the city makes to emergency management, rescue squad, library, Upper Cumberland Development District, Chamber of Commerce, and Sister Cities program totaling $88,540.

Budget talks do not begin until July. However, Rutherford is bringing the question up at this time in order to give advance notice to the mentioned organizations if the city decides to ‘redirect’ the money.

Although discussed, officials did not vote on Rutherford’s recommendation.

City contributions

‘ Industrial Develop. Board $96,650

‘ Main Street McMinnville $50,000

‘ Community services $42,412

TOTAL $189,062