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CHARDON, Ohio — Geauga County officials are considering a new public-private partnership aimed at reshaping the county’s approach to economic development, with a proposal that would create a joint leadership council, expand support for local businesses and pursue new state, federal and philanthropic funding.
The proposal, presented Tuesday by the Geauga Growth Partnership, would establish a Geauga County Economic Development Council jointly led by the county and the nonprofit organization.
Kimm Leininger, president and CEO of the Geauga Growth Partnership, said the county already has strong employers, schools and regional partnerships, but those groups often work independently instead of through a unified strategy.
“The question isn’t whether we have the assets,” Leininger said. “The question is whether we’re really coordinating those assets as effectively as we can.”
Leininger said the initiative is designed to build on the county’s existing economic development efforts by helping employers expand, improving coordination of workforce and infrastructure planning, pursuing outside funding and preserving Geauga County’s rural character.
She said several longtime Geauga County businesses have expressed interest in expanding but have limited opportunities to do so within the county.
During its first year, the proposal calls for creating the Economic Development Council and establishing performance benchmarks before pursuing longer-term initiatives, such as industrial site development and technology-focused business parks where appropriate.
The Geauga Growth Partnership has applied for a three-year Cleveland Foundation grant to launch the initiative. If awarded, the county would contribute $25,000 in the first year, followed by $50,000 in the second year and $75,000 in the third. Leininger said future county funding would depend on measurable performance and return on investment.
“We’ve got to show what every dollar we’re investing into this is going to bring back to the county,” she said.
The proposal calls for quarterly performance dashboards and annual impact reports measuring jobs created or retained, private investment and grant funding secured.
John Epprecht, former chairman of the Geauga Growth Partnership board and owner of Great Lakes Cheese, said the proposal would help existing employers navigate grant opportunities and other resources while encouraging young workers to remain in the county.
“We educate our kids, we get them jobs here in Geauga County, and then they stay in Geauga County,” Epprecht said. “That’s my motto.”
Commissioners took no action Tuesday but agreed to schedule a work session to continue discussing the proposal.
Commissioner Ralph Spidalieri said he supports continuing the conversation but questioned why Geauga County was identified in the Cleveland Foundation grant application before he was aware of it, saying the process did not reflect the transparency the proposal seeks to promote.
“I didn’t even know this was happening,” Spidalieri said, adding that he wants to better understand how the partnership would be structured and whether the county should invest more in its own Community and Economic Development Department before committing to a long-term partnership.
Leininger acknowledged Spidalieri’s concerns and apologized for not involving him earlier in the discussions.
She said the grant application was submitted because the Cleveland Foundation’s deadline came before conversations with commissioners had concluded and emphasized that the application does not obligate the county to provide funding or approve the proposal.
Other commissioners agreed the next step is a work session to determine what role county government and the Geauga Growth Partnership should each play in future economic development efforts. They also said the county’s incoming commissioner should be included in the discussion because any agreement could extend beyond the current board’s term.
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