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When the county passed its budget recently, there was $1.3 million earmarked for economic incentives going to commercial business. But there were few other details given.

Now that the dust has settled on the budget, maybe there a more fully-formed plan on spending this public money?

Not quite yet.

Board of Commissioners Vice Chairman Steve Arnold told us today that the plan isn't totally developed.

"I don’t know how I can add to what’s been said already," he said. "What we want to do is a little more carefully define the terminology and define what’s anticipated and expected and make sure there’s definition between residential and commercial (development)."

What we know is that $1.3 million represents an expected growth in tax base for commercial development here in 2009-10 that could be used for incentives to grow that tax base. Or that's what Arnold has told us before.

When can we expect to see something solid on this plan?

"Hope that it will be sooner rather than later," Arnold said, adding that it could be as soon as next week.

Board of Commissioners Chairman Melvin "Skip" Alston was reluctant to give details.

"(Arnold is) still working on it," Alston said. "He’s still talking to people."

We asked who.

"Leaders in the community, lawyers," Arnold said.

Could we get some names?

"I don’t want to do that," he said.

Why?

"Because I don’t want you to be dogging them like you do the rest of the staff," Alston said.

Though the budget passed with the $1.3 million spending plan and little explanation of how it would work, two commissioners spoke against the idea - Billy Yow and Paul Gibson.

In an earlier Inside Scoop post, Yow said:

"This whole thing has become so convoluted that there's no right or wrong about it ... Steve is pushing the economic incentive thing ... he says he's not really for (community group spending), it's just politics. Are we here for politics or are we here to represent the people and what's right and wrong?"