Allegany County government officials approved of the plan for consolidation with City of Cumberland and Cumberland Economic Development Commission to form the Allegany Development Corporation. During the regular session meeting of the County Commission last week the commissioners voted in favor of the merger. According to Commission President Jake Shade “People have talked about consolidation of government services for decades. The county delivered on one of the most important, which is economic development. The Cumberland City Council will vote on Tuesday.We have been working on this for many months now, and to find common ground is a huge step in the right direction for our area. Fixing the structural issues will lead to better outcomes.”
Shade says the highlights of the merger will include:
-There will be one entity doing
economic development for the whole county, which will ensure efforts are not
duplicated
-The goals and objectives are clear and we will have a better chance of
achieving them.
-Prioritization of projects will be easier. Simply put, if the project isn’t in
the strategic economic development plan released last fall it’s not going to be
priority for the next 5 years.
-There is a cost savings by consolidating organizations. Not just in office
space or staff but when attending tradeshows, data purchases, marketing, etc.
-Greater accountability and efficiency for all involved
The timeline for completion of consolidation is
April 1, 2020.