Orange County Economic Development Corporation (EDC) has a reprieve until December 31, 2015.

Commissioners Court voted on July 28 to not renew funding for the EDC in the 2015/2016 fiscal budget however, a contract for staffing purchasing service agreement remains in effect until the end of this year.

The staffing and purchasing employment agreement transferred hiring authority from Orange County Commissioners Court to the EDC Board. The OC EDC has an employment contract with Bobby Fillyaw until the end of Dec. 2015.

“The vote to not renew funding is separate from the staffing purchasing employment service agreement,” County Attorney Douglas Manning said during the Monday afternoon meeting. “You can say you are not a member but the court did not take action to terminate employment.”

Manning said he listened to audio recording minutes of the meeting in July to determine what the commissioners had voted on.

Manning also said the court had three options:

• Continue with the current purchasing agreement
• Have a new agreement saying the same as the existing agreement
• Terminate with the EDC.

“The EDC pays Bobby directly,” Manning said. “The court voted to withhold funding for membership.”

Manning also said the employment agreement also covered Fillyaw’s assistant Shirley Zimmerman.

County Auditor Mary Johnson said the county judge was under the impression the vote in July terminated the employment of Fillyaw and Zimmerman.

“The motion, action the court made was to withhold funding for membership,” Manning said. “The agreement delegated authority to the EDC for employment.”

Commissioner Pct. 2 Barry Burton made the motion for not funding the EDC but to continue with the employment agreement until Dec. 31, 2015 with EDC available finds.