Waukee Officials May Cut WEDCO Funding and Hire City Development Staffer

Waukee officials are considering cutting by half the money given to the Waukee Area Economic Development Corporation and instead using the money for a city development position and giving more to a Dallas County development group.

At a Monday budget workshop, Waukee City Council members discussed a proposal that would cut city funding for WEDCO from $60,000 in the 2012-13 fiscal year to $30,000 for the fiscal year that begins July 1, according to the Des Moines Register.

WEDCO has no paid staff members.

Councilwoman Shelly Hughes, the council liaison to WEDCO, said she supported reducing the amount of money to that group and instead using the money to pay another city staff member to work on development services, the newspaper reports.

The budget proposal also increases Waukee's funding for the Greater Dallas County Development Alliance, from $10,252 to $27,580, the Register said.

The proposed Waukee city budget maintains the current property tax rate at $13.50 per $1,000 of assessed value. It also includes money to add library and public safety employees.