PORT TOWNSEND — Although he expressed surprise at Jefferson County’s move to take over the Economic Development Council’s functions, the job-creating agency’s president said he understands why the county commissioners did so.
“I agree with what the county did because in order to maintain operations and services, they needed to do what they needed to do, to safeguard the taxpayers’ money,” said Frontier Bank General Manager Lawrence Graves, who has headed the Economic Development Council’s board since October.
“In the last five or six months, did I think they were going to do that? No. But do I understand why they did it? Yes.”
County commissioners unanimously voted to pull back $25,000 budgeted for the Economic Development Council, instead setting itself up as an associate development organization.
Commissioners assigned county Administrator John Fischbach to head the organization.
The move makes the county eligible for a $28,000 state grant to help operate the new organization.
The action came about 10 days after development council Executive Director Tamer Kirac resigned, citing a lack of support from the council’s executive board and board of directors.
Kirac has accepted a job with the U.S. State Department and will be based in Baghdad, Iraq, where he will advise 18 war-torn Iraqi provinces on economic development matters.
Tuesday was his last day at the Jefferson County Economic Development Council and he starts his new job on about March 15.
With Kirac’s departure, longtime Port Townsend businessman and consultant Joe Breskin was named interim director for two weeks, while the development council board sorts out the agency’s future.
The board meets to contemplate that future at noon Friday at Point Hudson Marina Room.