Who’s watching out for Maricopa’s economic future?

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Maricopa has a triad of entities working on economic development for the city with a fourth in the beginning stages.

The city’s economic development department, the Maricopa Chamber of Commerce and the Maricopa Economic Development Alliance focus on different aspects of the city’s economic growth.

The city’s newest organization, the Maricopa Business Council, is trying to see where it fits in, founder Eric Lacz said.

“What we’re focusing on is developing and educating small businesses,” Lacz said.

Dennis Hoffman, an economics professor at the W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University, said it is essential to know what the objectives of the four organizations are to determine if all are needed in the city.

“Having four entities could work in a small town as long as they are willing to seamlessly work together,” Hoffman said.

The city’s Economic Development Director Micah Miranda said his department works with the chamber and MEDA in a variety of ways.

“They are resources for the city and the region and we’re a resource to help assist them in accomplishing their goals in certain areas that may align,” Miranda said.

The city’s economic development department also works with the Industrial Development Authority.

“We help the city find money for a new business or for the growth of an existing business in the form of loans, grants and bonds,” Industrial Development Authority President Dan Miller said.

Miller said the group networks with the other economic development organizations and is a member of the chamber.

He said he has heard of the Maricopa Business Council, but has not been approached by Lacz.

“I’m not sure what they would offer that the chamber isn’t able to offer,” he said.

Each organization does something different unique to its membership, Miranda said. “The chamber does something very different than MEDA.”

Mike Richey, chairman of the chamber’s board of directors, said the chamber’s mission is to support member businesses by maintaining programs businessmen and businesswomen desire and want to participate in. It was founded in 2007.

“The chamber focuses on how to inform and provide information that allows members to be more productive in operating their businesses,” he said.

Richey said the chamber, a nonprofit organization, is funded in two ways for two different purposes.

He said it is funded by membership dues and fundraising events for general purposes.

“The chamber also serves as the tourism center for the city and in return for those services is funded by a grant from the city of $40,000 annually,” Richey said.

Jim Rives, the president and CEO of MEDA, said his group has the infrastructure to help sustain businesses.

“We are a private nonprofit 501(c)(3) that partners with the city of Maricopa on matters relating to infrastructure and creating economic development solutions; whatever that may be,” he said.

He also said MEDA, created in 2009, supports the chamber, which handles the business aspects of the existing businesses in town while his group works to get companies to expand or locate in Maricopa.

Rives said he doesn’t know where the Maricopa Business Council fits in.

“Right now we have an existing triad,” Rives said. “I don’t even know about this other one.”

Lacz, who started his group in December, said he plans to reach out to Rives.

“I want to get our organization up and running and have an event or two,” he said. “Something that I can go to him and show him what we’re doing.”

Lacz, who is a former chamber member, said his council is funded through membership dues only.

“I made it clear that I was not going to get money from the city,” Lacz said. “I don’t want to tie up funds that can help our city grow that may be needed for other projects.”

Miranda said his department will work with any organization carrying out activities or events to promote and further economic development within the city.

“We’ve discussed generalities of what the Maricopa Business Council is,” Miranda said. “If they want to get involved in something and it aligns, there will definitely be an opportunity to participate.”

Lacz said the council wants to get involved in the city’s Shop Local program.

Miranda said having multiple organizations geared toward economic development benefits the city.

“It provides a voice for whatever issues an organization is advocating on the behalf of,” Miranda said. “When you have more voices it elevates issues.”

Richey said economic development is complicated and Maricopa has tough competition with other cities in Arizona.

“One organization wouldn’t be enough,” he said. “There are different aspects that need to be addressed and that’s the reason the different organizations exist.”