Ron Barton has a tough job. The agency he was recently hired to lead, the Jacksonville Economic Development Commission, may be the most controversial institution in the city. A series of questionable incentive deals, culminating in the multimillion-dollar debacle involving the downtown Shipyards project, has the agency facing unprecedented scrutiny from city lawyers and civic watchdogs. Barton formerly headed economic development for St. Petersburg.

Florida Trend: What brought you to Jacksonville?

Ron Barton: Professionally, the JEDC economic development model is envied within the industry because of the consolidation of economic development and redevelopment initiatives within one entity. On a personal note, I grew up in Jacksonville, and it was a wonderful opportunity to return home.

FT: In the short time you've been here, what have you learned about the city that wasn't readily apparent from across the state?

RB: I was pleasantly surprised by the private sector's response to the core mission of economic development and the high expectations placed on the JEDC. In addition, it is clear to me that the downtown is on the verge of a significant growth curve.

FT: The JEDC has come under criticism recently for its lax management/oversight of incentives deals, among other issues. What steps is the agency taking to improve both its performance and its public image?

RB: The JEDC has developed a number of extensive analytics and policies that allow us to better evaluate project impacts on our community and the merit of the project, as well as the return on investment to our citizens in the event we contemplate the use of public funds in a project. Coming from another market in a similar role, I can tell you that these processes are like nothing I have ever seen. We are refining our public investment policies to be much more focused in our use of public incentives and to be more strategic about when they are applied.

FT: How do you respond to critics who argue that taxpayer-funded incentives to multimillion-dollar corporations are a form of corporate welfare that, in the final analysis, have little impact on the overall economy of a city?

RB: Once again I think the central issue is a reasonable assessment of return on investment. Are the projects that receive a public investment contributing to the positive movement of measures, such as higher wages and capital investment? Duval County's average wage exceeds the state average, and that positive gap has widened over the last few years. These positive changes didn't just happen. It is ironic that we offer welfare in many ways and none is bigger in fiscal impact than the residential homestead exemption, yet no one questions the validity or the return on investment of that practice.

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