Skip to content
Sections
  • Obituaries
  • eEdition
  • Popular Content
  • Submit a Tip
May 16th, 2022
  • QUICK LINKS
  • Obituaries
  • eEdition
  • Popular Content
  • Submit a Tip
  • News
  • Columbus & Lowndes County
  • Starkville & Oktibbeha County
  • West Point & Clay County
  • Area
  • State
  • National
  • Business
  • Sports
  • High School Sports
  • College Sports
  • Local Columns
  • Opinions
  • Local Columns
  • Letters to the Editor
  • Roses & Thorns
  • Dispatch Editorials
  • Obituaries
  • Lifestyles
  • Columns
  • Entertainment
  • Food
  • Transitions & Announcements
  • Community
  • Religion
  • Classifieds
  • Photo Galleries
  • Public Records
  • Building Permits
  • Marriages & Divorces
May 16th, 2022

Open eyes, open minds.

  • News
  • Columbus & Lowndes County

What is LCIDA?

By Yue Stella Yu • December 8, 2020

The map highlights the land owned by the Lowndes County Industrial Development Authority, which is a county subsidiary that holds land for industrial development, builds infrastructure and maintains industry equipment. LCIDA owns almost 5,000 acres of land surrounding the Golden Triangle Regional Airport. Photo by: Courtesy image/Golden Triangle Development LINK

Created under a 1974 state law, Lowndes County Industrial Development Authority (LCIDA) was formed as a Lowndes County subsidiary that oversees economic development efforts.

LCIDA is responsible for land purchases for industrial expansion, maintenance and infrastructure building primarily at the Lowndes County Industrial Park near the Golden Triangle Regional Airport. It receives annual funding from the county just like other departments. The county is LCIDA’s primary funding source and it is also responsible for all of LCIDA’s debts.

The first industry whose way was paved by the organization was Weyerhauser, which began construction of its Columbus mill in the 1970s, said LCIDA board president Thomas Lee.

“It was nothing but wasted land,” Lee said of the time before Weyerhauser. “People were out there rabbit hunting.”

LCIDA now owns almost 5,000 acres of land surrounding the Golden Triangle Regional Airport, according to a fact sheet from the Golden Triangle Development LINK, which LCIDA hires to manage its daily business. The average annual budget for operations is about $2.5 million, according to an email from the LINK Tuesday morning.

The site has attracted more than 20 industries over the years, including Steel Dynamics Inc., PACCAR, Stark Aerospace, Airbus and Lexicon.

LCIDA is also responsible for maintaining industry assets on the site, including four wells, two pressure filter water treatment plants, three elevated water tanks, 26.5 miles of water lines, nine wastewater lift stations, 6.84 miles of sewer mains, a biological wastewater treatment facility and generators, according to the LINK’s fact sheet.

The authority is governed by seven board members, including one from each supervisors’ district and two at-large members, who can live anywhere in the county. All members are supervisor appointees and each serves two-year terms. The board members do not receive any stipend.

Before the LINK took over the management of LCIDA in 2003, Charleigh Ford was the one who helped manage LCIDA’s business, Lee said. Now, the LINK is responsible for recruiting industries and negotiating deals with them, whereas LCIDA holds the land and takes care of infrastructure and maintenance.

LCIDA’s governing body, as well as its relationship with the LINK, is similar to the Oktibbeha County Economic Development Authority (OCEDA), said Lynn Spruill, Starkville Mayor and president of the OCEDA board. The board consists of five supervisor appointees and the mayors of Sturgis, Maben and Starkville. OCEDA owns the North Star Industrial Park and the building that houses the Greater Starkville Development Partnership, she said.

“It is essentially an organization that works for Oktibbeha County and works through the LINK for the industrial recruitment side of it,” Spruill said.

However, unlike LCIDA, OCEDA does not receive any county funding, she said. Instead, the authority collects rent from industries located at the industrial park and receives 15 percent of the 2-percent food and beverage tax revenue in Starkville. In Fiscal Year 2019, for example, the tax generated $323,414 for OCEDA — the bulk of its annual budget of roughly $400,000, she said.

LCIDA board members

■ Thomas Lee-President

■ Frank Lockhart-Vice President

■ Karl Williams-Secretary

■ Ronnie West

■ Adam Charles Holmes

■ Pete Perkins

■ Greg Rader (whose term expired Nov. 30)

Yue Stella Yu was previously a reporter for The Dispatch.

Popular

Business: As liquor store owners compete for hard-to-find bottles, some turn to bots

By Brian Jones

Junior Auxiliary of Columbus announces new executive board

By Dispatch Staff Report

Softball: Tears flow freely as New Hope’s season comes to an end

By Tom Rysinski

Partial to Home: A day on the river

By Birney Imes


Public Information Links

  • City of Columbus
  • Lowndes County
  • City of Starkville
  • Oktibbeha County
  • City of West Point
  • Clay County
  • Building Permits
  • Marriages & Divorces
  • MS Dept of Health Restaurant Inspections


On This Day 2021

Six candidates, three internal, apply for Columbus COO

By Isabelle Altman

Featured Podcast

The C Dispatch Podcast

Sections

  • News
  • Sports
  • Opinions
  • Lifestyles
  • Obituaries

Info

  • About
  • Contact
  • Submit a Tip
  • Terms & Service
  • Popular Content

Dispatch

Contact Us

Main Switchboard:

(662) 328-2424

Physical Address:

516 Main Street
Columbus, MS 39701

Mailing Address:

PO Box 511
Columbus, MS 39701

cdispatch.com © 2022 – The Commerical Dispatch

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Cookie settingsACCEPT
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT