The CEO of the Windsor-Essex Economic Development Corporation is defneding the agency amid one city councillor's calls for change.
Sandra Pupatello attended city hall Monday night to provide some numbers to council and answer some tough questions.
It all started when Pupatello made a presentation to council on budget night about the work done to create and retain jobs in the region.
Councillor Hilary Payne wasn't happy with the job data being provided.
Payne is calling for a shake-up of the board and a full-time CEO for the $2.2-million taxpayer-funded agency..
“I don't know of any corporation with a part-time CEO, it just doesn't make sense," says Payne.
He also wants to include top city and county administrators, without voting rights.
Payne was set to present a motion to that effect at Monday evening's council meeting.
But instead, he asked for a deferral for a month to give councillors more time to think. The deferral was granted.
On Tuesday, Payne said he will present a motion at the April 20 meeting of council to include the CAOs from the city and county and will look for council's support to re-structure how Ec Dev's board operates.
At council, Pupatello presented a jobs and investment recap for 2014.
By the numbers, the agency says it's assisted 237 companies with business retention and expansion efforts this year alone.
It aided in the transition from Heinz to Highbury Canco in Leamington and helped secure numerous government grants.
Pupatello says Ec Dev has support from 90 per cent of council. She says one councillor is undermining the work they do.
“It is a very very bad message,” says Pupatello. “This particular councillor has heard that message. And it hasn't had any impact, and unfortunately I think there's another agenda at play - and it's really sad to see that politics would play any part in our work of economic development."
Most councillors at Monday’s meeting were interested in the concrete numbers to assess the agency's effectiveness.
Outside of having his motion deferred for four weeks, Payne was quiet, saying he'd ask some "focused questions" at that time.
