Darla McCorkle/Contributing Writer
Fire Chief Rod Rodriguez and others went before JEDCO Tuesday night. The Jimplecute asked for money to buy a printer so print jobs they perform can stop going to neighboring cities. The Krewe and Phoenix asked for money to purchase better barricades to use during events for public safety. Rodriquez was there seeking funding for a new fire station and equipment after City Council referred the request to them. All before JEDCO left without funding secured.
JEDCO can only fund certain things. Emergency services is one of those. We know this because long, long ago, in a council far, far away, they paid for that EMS bay. JEDCO built an ambulance bay on property the city doesn’t own so the owner could rent it out. And it wasn’t a loan it was a grant. So, the rent didn’t go to pay JEDCO back. Sit with that a minute.
JEDCO money can only be spent certain ways. They can’t use it on a new city hall, but they can use it on a fire station, and they need to fork it over! Some folks may view a fire station as a city responsibility, and I agree. In a perfect world I’d only want JEDCO to fund new businesses or old ones wanting to expand. But the fact is they don’t grant funding for anything! Not a new business or existing ones. They are sitting on over $1.6 million waiting for a big mega industry to come to Jefferson.
I’ve been here 20 years and that fish has nibbled twice – and one is gone. JEDCO isn’t helping anyone else! The last JEDCO funded small business project was a grant to Knightlife to expand their kitchen! So pretty please with sugar on top stop sitting on the family fortune while we starve!
They can offer low interest loans or grant that money. Personally, I’m sick of the low interest loan. They are funded by our sales tax and then they offer to loan it back to us like a neighborhood shark.
Mega industry will never come here because our services and infrastructure can’t support its citizens much less major industry. Wake up, JEDCO! While you wait on Mr. Perfect to ask you out, Mr. Ain’t Bad is standing right in front of you! And you aren’t pretty enough to be picky!
If JEDCO can legally spend money on ANY of the things the city needs then swipe the card, spend the money because our city is crumbling. We can’t attract industry looking the way we look, or functioning the way we function. JEDCO needs to stop acting like a stingy parent doling out candy money! And for God’s sake stop offering us loans! Start granting OUR money to OUR people who are living here fighting our fires, protecting our homes and to the persons who are providing locally owned and operated business! Yes, the small ones!
Currently, our town is full of regret as we try to repair generations of dilapidated infrastructure, repair work never done, and all-around neglect. The firehouse is just one item on a long list. If there is anything on the list that can be paid for by hotel tax or by sales tax or by JEDCO or by the city, then pass the hat and write the check. If you like being a big shot on a board or on a council, then you better start voting yes to fix some of this crap otherwise you may not have a town to be a big shot in.
But if my pleas go on unheard, I have a solution. I happen to have the video and photo equipment should the fireman want to start doing calendars or TikTok videos. Y’all noticed the fire chief is bald right? I’ve yet to rub his head but might be willing to if he wants to start a Head Rubbing and Kissing Booth to afford new equipment. It’s just a little head rub and some sugar for a good cause, so line ‘em up! Or email the JEDCO appointee that your councilperson picked and remind them you want to see local emergency services and local small businesses being supported!
And remind them that you’d rather not watch your house or theirs burn to the ground because the equipment we have needs to be replaced.