MCDP President Jerry Frazier

By Josh Mitchell/Informer Publisher

Marion County Attorney Joe Shepard has responded to a public records request that was seeking the salary amount for the head of a local taxpayer-funded economic development organization.

The Marion County Informer filed the records request last week seeking the salary for Jerry Frazier, who is the executive director of the Marion County Economic Development District and the president of the Marion County Development Partnership.

In his response to the records request, Shepard stated, “Mr. Frazier provides three distinct professional management services as follows: Manager of the Marion County Economic Development District (MCEDD), which owns industrial parks and buildings; manager of the Marion County Development Partnership (MCDP), which is the economic development and chamber of commerce organization of this community; and also, Mr. Frazier provides oversight of the Marion County Subdivision Regulations. These professional services are provided by Mr. Frazier for an annual fee of $85,000.”

Shepard also stated in his response to the records request, “Mr. Frazier is not a salaried employee of Marion County Mississippi, the city of Columbia, Mississippi, or any governmental entities of Marion County, as well as the Marion County Development Partnership. Nor does Mr. Frazier receive any employment benefits normally associated with salaried employees, such as retirement, insurance, FICA, taxes etc., from any governmental agency or the Marion County Development Partnership.”

MCDP Office

According to the 2009-2010 MCEDD budget, the county contributed $100,000 to the MCDP for “operating expense” and $96,000 to the MCEDD for “operating expense.” The city of Columbia also gives the MCDP $40,000 annually, said City Clerk Donna McKenzie. Other than funding from the city and county, the only other money the MCDP receives is from its 250-260 members, which include local businesses, Frazier has said.

According to the MCDP Web site, there are two other MCDP employees: Vice President- Chamber of Commerce Division Carolyn Burton and Administrative Assistant Angela Harper.

The Marion County Informer filed a separate records request with Frazier last week asking that he provide a detailed line-item breakdown of how the taxpayer money is used in the MCDP and MCEDD, but county officials refused to provide the information. Andrew Foxworth, counsel for the MCDP, responded via certified letter today to that records request, saying the MCDP is not subject to the Mississippi Public Records Act because it is not a public body.

Foxworth responded to the request stating, “The MCDP is not a division or entity of the state, the city or any subdivision thereof. The MCDP was not created by the Constitution or by any law, executive order, ordinance or resolution. The MCDP is a private non-profit entity. Therefore, the MCDP does not appear to fall within the definition of a ‘public body’ as set out by the Act. As a result, the MCDP would not be subject to the terms of the Act.”

The 2010-2011 proposed MCEDD budget also asks that the county contribute $96,000 to the MCEDD for “operating expense” and $100,000 to the MCDP for “operating expense.” It is unclear if the Marion County Board of Supervisors will provide that funding for the MCDP and MCEDD in the upcoming fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1.

Marion County Attorney Joe Shepard

By Josh Mitchell/Informer Publisher

Marion County officials have refused to explain how taxpayer money is specifically used at a local economic development district.

County Attorney Joe Shepard responded via certified letter today to a records request filed by the Marion County Informer last week. The records request asked that Marion County Economic Development District Executive Director Jerry Frazier reveal in detail what the $96,000 in county taxpayer money pays for at the MCEDD.

The 2009-2010 MCEDD budget states that the county gave the MCEDD $96,000 for “Operating expense for MCEDD (management, professional services, etc.)” The Informer’s records request asked that Frazier provide a detailed breakdown of line items that the $96,000 pays for.

In response to the records request, Shepard, counsel for the MCEDD, stated, “The Mississippi Public Records Act of 1983 does not require, nor does it in any way imply that a public body or employee is under any obligation to spend time and resources explaining to you a document that you already have in your possession.”

The Informer’s records request also asked for a detailed breakdown of how $100,000 in county taxpayer money was used at the private non-profit Marion County Development Partnership. Columbia City Clerk Donna McKenzie said the city also gives the MCDP $40,000 annually. Shepard stated in his response that he was only responding to the portion of the records request dealing with the MCEDD.

The Informer filed a separate records request last week asking that Jerry Frazier, who is the president of the MCDP and the executive director of the MCEDD, reveal his salary since both organizations he is over receive taxpayer funds. The Informer has yet to receive a response from the request asking for Frazier’s salary.

The proposed 2010-2011 MCEDD budget once again asks that the county give the MCEDD $96,000 for “operating expense” and the MCDP $100,000 for “operating expense.”

Marion County Supervisor Raymon Rowell

By Josh Mitchell/Informer Publisher

“My salary is a public record, and the rest of the county workers’ salaries are public record.”

That’s how County Supervisor Raymon Rowell responded this afternoon when the Informer asked him if he thinks Marion County Development Partnership President Jerry Frazier’s salary should be released to the public.

“Anybody who wants to know my salary is free to know that,” said Rowell. “That’s basically the way I see it.”

Rowell would not respond with a direct yes or no answer on whether he thinks Frazier’s salary should be released to the public. Rowell said he does not know Frazier’s salary.

Rowell also would not comment when the Informer asked him if he thinks the county should once again fund the MCDP with $100,000 in fiscal year 2010-2011, which begins Oct. 1.

Board of Supervisors President Calvin Newsom could not be reached for comment to ask whether he thinks Frazier’s salary should be made public. Supervisors Randy Dyess and Lloyd Fortenberry also could not be reached for comment.

The Marion County Informer filed a formal public records request this morning asking that Frazier’s salary be disclosed since the MCDP has received taxpayer funding. Frazier said the MCDP received $100,000 in county funds last year. In addition, the city of Columbia gives the MCDP $40,000 annually, said City Clerk Donna McKenzie.

Other than funding from the city and county, the only other money the MCDP receives is from its 250-260 members, said Frazier. The MCDP is a private non-profit economic development organization that works to attract jobs and industry to Marion County, Frazier has said.

Frazier has said that the county actually funds the Marion County Economic Development District, which then passes the $100,000 through to the MCDP. Frazier is the executive director of the MCEDD.

The Informer has published two other articles on this matter that can be read by clicking these links: http://bit.ly/cUX97v       http://bit.ly/bpZBBr