Port authority says budget allows for position to be filled

VIENNA — The board of directors of the Western Reserve Port Authority, which will meet Wednesday to possibly hire a permanent executive director, has money in its budget to cover the salary and benefits if it chooses to hire an additional person for economic development.

The authority’s most-recent financial report says the economic-development fund is likely to have $300,000 or more left when 2015 closes.

During the most recent full year – 2014 – officials spent about $100,000 from the economic-development fund for the salary of Sarah Lown, senior economic-development manager, and one intern.

This year, $95,674 of the economic-development fund’s $527,232 budget has been spent through the first five months of the year, or 16.6 percent, leaving $480,826. Most of the cost is for Lown’s salary.

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