Quispamsis Supports New Economic Development Agency

The town of Quispamsis has become the third municipality to support a proposed new regional economic development agency.

Council voted unanimously on the proposal during a special meeting Wednesday, joining Rothesay and Hampton in lending their support.

The proposed model will see the region’s four existing economic agencies and departments combined into one single entity.

“Economic development, business attraction, population growth and tourism is something that we have talked about in Quispamsis, and now we’re going to be able to talk about it on a larger scale,” said deputy mayor Libby O’Hara.

“I see it as being a much stronger entity and that it is going to have a greater impact on this region, something that I feel is necessary, something that I’ve been hoping for over the past number of years.”

Several councillors raised questions about how much money the town would have to contribute toward the new organization.

According to the proposal, the town of Quispamsis would pay $168,000 in the first year, rising to $454,000 in year five.

Saint John would contribute $1.7 million during each of the first two years, rising to $1.9 million annually through 2025.

Rothesay’s contribution would rise from $148,000 in 2021 to $283,000 in 2025. Grand Bay-Westfield would contribute $36,000 in 2021, rising to $118,000 by 2025. Hampton’s contribution would rise from $31,000 in 2021 to $102,000 by 2025.

The Village of St. Martins and local service districts would also be asked to chip in once the model has been ratified by Saint John and the four towns.

“It seems as though Quispamsis is taking the lion’s share of increase and I’m kind of wondering how the increases are determined,” said Coun. Pierre Rioux.

David Campbell, one of the consultants tasked with helping to put the model together, said the idea is to have each municipality pay the same amount per capita by 2025.

“It’s a significant amount of funding, there’s no doubt about it, but we’re hopeful that council will see that this money invested in a regional organization will have tangible benefits for the municipality and for the region,” said Campbell.

Campbell noted the model would allow municipalities to opt-out after three years if the agency is not living up to its key performance indicators.

Coun. Sean Luck asked if those who are part of Develop Saint John, Discover Saint John, Economic Development Greater Saint John and Saint John’s population growth department would join the new organization.

“There’s no doubt that the three organizations we have in place, there is talent. Whether or not they want to come over, we don’t know. I would suspect that that could happen and that would be welcomed, certainly,” said Paulette Hicks, who chaired the advisory council.

Hicks said it will be up to the new chief economic development officer, who will be hired through an open competition, to make those decisions.

Saint John and Grand Bay-Westfield are expected to vote on the proposal over the coming days.