Dillon County Economic Development Director Tonny McNeil resigned last week, and the county began advertising for a replacement; however, instead of advertising for an Economic Development Director, the county is advertising for an Economic Development Project Manager.
This is not acceptable. Dillon County is on the brink of big things with the Inland Port and several other projects on the horizon and great interest by a number of companies looking at the area. The county does not need someone simply to “manage economic development projects, all grants related to economic development, and maintain good relations with existing industries” as the ad states. We need an Economic Development Director—a qualified professional dedicated to bringing more industry to our county, more jobs to our county, increasing our tax base, and improving our quality of life. We don’t need our county administrator trying to be a part-time economic development professional and dividing his time between his administrative duties and economic development. Dillon County’s day-to-day business should be plenty to keep him and his deputy administrator occupied on a daily basis. We don’t need another good ole’ boy who someone feels they owe a job or a glory seeker who wants to come in and take credit for the work that others have already done. We don’t need the position of Economic Development Director downgraded to save money or to divert funds to other places.
We need a quality person with a serious desire to help Dillon County grow and thrive. The position should be widely advertised throughout the state and a capable person chosen to fill such a vital role in our county.
In this particular case, we need to seek excellence, not savings.