What was once a tool to help bring economic development to Jefferson County will soon be no longer. The Community Improvement Corporation, which houses Progress Alliance, has been forced to disband.


Thursday morning, the county commissioners decided to fund the newly developed port authority and no longer fund the CIC, which officials say was nearly half of their budget.


"We have a strategic plan that says we move right into an exit strategy, so at the first of the year, that's what we will be doing," said CIC President Bob Chapman.


Chapman gave NEWS9 a copy of that exit plan which states the group will have to analyze the situation and determine staff reductions, determine how long the corporation will last with current resources and form a team to handle legal notifications and bank accounts.


"This is a business decision by the county commissioners. They feel that the port authority is up and running and ready to be in charge of economic development," said Chapman.


Chapman went as far as to say that what happened in Thursday's meeting gave the county two black eyes. Commissioner Tom Graham disagreed, adding that the CIC was not spending their money properly to bring in development.


"It's not a black eye. In fact, we are going to have a port authority that can do more things. They are going to be an economic development tool for Jefferson County and a lot of good things are going to happen," Graham said.


Graham said a smooth transition can still happen between the CIC and the county port authority and he hopes that does happen.