Cd'A sees 'return on investment'

COEUR d’ALENE — While the Hayden City Council recently said it would not fund the Coeur d’Alene Area Economic Development Corp., the Coeur d’Alene City Council will continue to provide financial support.

“As long as we’re here in this leadership role, we’re going to appreciate that return on investment and support you the way you’ve supported our community,” said council member Christie Wood.

The city of Coeur d’Alene contributes $25,000 annually to CDAEDC. It is one of five organizations listed on the CDAEDC website that give $25,000 or more. The others are Avista, Hagadone Corp., the city of Post Falls and Kootenai Health.

Wood said she appreciated the efforts of the CDAEDC over the years and recognized its impact on the community.

“If the leadership back in the '80s hadn't realized the need, where would we be?” Wood asked.

Gynii Abracosa Gilliam, president and CEO of the organization also known as Jobs Plus, delivered a presentation to the Coeur d’Alene City Council this week.

She said its vision remains the same as when it was formed in 1987 — build a good employment base and strong economy in Kootenai County.

It does that by attracting businesses to the area, as well as assisting those already here.

Another focus is housing.

“That is a direct response from the companies that are here already," Gilliam said. “They are asking us and telling us they can’t find housing for the workforce.”

"In a sense, we can’t do our jobs well in bringing jobs if they don’t have a place to stay,” she added.

She cited statistics that reflect the area's economic growth.

Gilliam said the area’s average wage in 2023 was $24.36 an hour, up 51% from $16.14 in 2015.

The median household income was $68,043 in 2021, an increase of 39% from $48,864 in 2015.

From 2015 to 2022, CDAEDC assisted 67 companies — including Stancraft Jets, Dauntless Air, River City Fabrication and Kenworth Truck Company — that created 3,500 jobs, annual payroll of $182 million, capital investment of $253 million and annual tax revenue of $1.7 million.

She said it brought in four companies last year that settled in Rathdrum and Post Falls.

“We’re not saying we’re the only one that contributed to this,” Gilliam said. “But we know our focus on bringing high-wage jobs to the area makes a difference as far as driving the economy up."

But the Hayden City Council recently said it planned to defund Jobs Plus to the tune of $10,000 in its 2023-24 budget.

Gilliam said her understanding was, council members believed the area was growing enough without the efforts of the CDAEDC.

“They didn’t see the value in funding an organization that was focused on, in a sense, growing the community," she said. “I tried to tell them, what we do today won't affect us until about two or three years from now."

Gilliam said communities need to be continuously growing because there will always be businesses that leave or close.

“We always have to be growing to be replacing those,” she said. “If we want to improve the lives in our community, then we do need to grow.”

Council member Dan Gookin said CDAEDC provided a return on investment and found it puzzling Hayden did not understand that.

“The truth is, it totally puzzled us, as well,” Gilliam said.

She said cities contribute money to a lot of entities.

“But they don’t necessarily give you this kind of return investment," Gilliam said. "We gave that return on investment to them."