The Ross County Port Authority is a new economic development tool that has been founded by the local economic authority “Greater Chillicothe & Ross County Development” (GCRCD).
The Port Authority held a meeting Tuesday, where they approved their mission and vision statements. It was pointed out that the mission is not restricted to Ross County, since the authority can act outside of the county and assist other areas.
The Port Authority is still gearing up after holding their inaugural meeting on May 22nd. Before then, the GCRCD spent about six months researching the benefits of a port authority and how to start one up, says Tiffany Lemaster, its executive director.
She is also the Assistant Economic Developer in the GCRCD, which has its offices in the Chillicothe Ross Chamber of Commerce at 45 East Main Street.
Lemaster explained that a port authority does not need to have an actual port and manage shipping, like an airport or boat dock – it is just an additional financing tool in the economic toolbox that is sales tax exempt and can issue bonds. In fact, it doesn’t have any claim over the Ross County Airport (which is undergoing its own reorganization of sorts).
The board of the Port Authority is a mix of public officials and private industry, including Ross County Administrator and Fair board president Brad Cosenza, Convention & Visitors Bureau executive director Melody Young, and businessmen Ken Shelton and Joe Herlihy.
Lemaster said the Ross County Port Authority‘s website should be live by the end of the year, complete with an application form. Hear her in her own words in the video interview (her first one!) in the article on the Scioto Post.
Kevin Coleman covers local government and culture for the Scioto Post and iHeart Media Southern Ohio. For stories or questions, contact Kevin Coleman or the iHeart Southern Ohio Newsroom.