In 3-1 vote, Ocala City Council agrees to continue funding Ocala Metro CEP

In a 3-1 vote, the Ocala City Council on Tuesday approved the city's annual agreement to help fund the Ocala Metro Chamber & Economic Partnership (CEP.)

Council President Ire Bethea and council members Kristen Dreyer and Barry Mansfield noted that the CEP is an important asset to the city and community. Council member James Hilty was absent from Tuesday's meeting.

The lone dissenter, council member Jay Musleh, said the CEP should be recognized for its work. But he thinks it's time the agency stands on its own two feet. He said the city should be a member of the CEP, but not give it any money.

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"At what point does this end?" Musleh asked.

Musleh pointed out that the CEP has received $3 million from the city coffers in the past 10 years. Dreyer asked how much funding the CEP receives from the county. She was told $300,000 annually.

The CEP was formed to help the city and county attract businesses to Ocala/Marion County at a time when the country was in a recession. It has helped bring in big corporate entities including FedEx, Chewy, Auto Zone, Amazon and Dollar Tree, and has helped transform the county into a logistics and warehousing powerhouse.

In 2012, the CEP's funding from the city was $145,000. Now, it's $190,000 per year.

Musleh was not the only one who felt the time was right to slash funding to the CEP.

Kearsten Angel, in her public remarks about the issue, said city officials should either cut back or eliminate CEP funding. Angel said the group does not operate within the Sunshine Law.

Rock Gibboney, another person who spoke, said he could not find the CEP on the state's business website, Sunbiz. Secondly, he said perception is reality and presently, some people in the community have a negative view about the CEP and its intentions.

CEP's CEO defends the organization

Present at the meeting, CEP President Kevin Sheilley addressed the concerns.

Sheilley said the CEP is listed in Sunbiz. He said the CEP has separate 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(6) structures.

He said the CEP does not endorse political candidates. Rather, he said, the organization promotes business.

Sheilley noted that the city's millage rate has remained flat for the past several years in part because of the new businesses that have come into the area and built facilities. He said some surrounding communities cannot make that claim.

Council members defend the CEP

Mansfield said he's a member of the CEP and would pull the plug if it was not producing. But it is producing.

"I don't see it as a tax or waste of money. We're getting a value for our investment," he said.

Bethea agreed with Mansfield, echoing that the CEP is "doing a good job" at bringing in a variety of businesses to the community, including the large distribution centers off Interstate 75 and north of U.S. 27.

Musleh said the CEP has done a tremendous job for Ocala/Marion County, especially when the area was experiencing high unemployment and needed to diversify its economy. The CEP helped author a local "success story."

However, Musleh said, the support should not be permanent. It must be phased out at some point.

The council member also said the CEP is not the only entity that should be credited with keeping the city's millage rate flat.

Sheilley said he would like to see only 15 percent of the CEP's $3 million annual budget come from local government. At this point, he said, it's 16½ percent.

Contact Austin L. Miller at austin.miller@starbanner.com or @almillerosb

This article originally appeared on Ocala Star-Banner: Ocala, Florida votes to continue funding economic development agency