GRAYSON COUNTY, Tex. -- Grayson County Commissioners voted to dissolve an economic development contract they entered only ten months ago Monday. Stephanie Brletic explains why their relationship with Black Knight Partners is over.
The contract between the county and Black Knight Partners specified the company would perform only economic development duties for the county.
But Grayson County Judge Drue Bynum says the county now has an overall marketing strategy.
Bynum says the short time spent working with Black Knight was productive, noting they are solely responsible for bringing discussions with MD Helicopters to the table.
Bynum says Black Knight would have received 1% of the taxable value of any company they helped bring to the county once that company started paying taxes. But since no deals were made in those ten months, Black Knight never received any money from the county.
Now bynum says there is a new plan that goes beyond economic development.
Grayson County, along with the City of Sherman and the City of Denison, will enter into a new marketing contract beginning on October 1.
Bynum says each group will pitch in $33,000 to hire a public relations firm to market the entire area. He expects the new plan to be beneficial to everyone involved.
"With the public relations firms we've been talking to, we've actually had the opportunity to sit down with decision makers and present our case, and they can help us with our toolbox, and then we can go sell the area," Bynum says.
Bynum says although commissioners voted to terminate the contract with Black Knight, officials may still consider proposals from Black Knight on a case-by-case basis, but the company will not have exclusive rights to the county's economic development.