Plan for High Desert Business Group Stalls : Antelope Valley: Lancaster balks at a Palmdale proposal for a new coordinating body for the region.

The Antelope Valley’s two major cities have failed to agree on a proposal to create a new regional group responsible for coordinating efforts to lure businesses and jobs to the high desert.

Palmdale Mayor Jim Ledford proposed the creation of the government and private industry group Tuesday night during a joint meeting of the Palmdale and Lancaster city councils, saying the region needs a single new organization that can represent the entire valley.

But the proposal drew no initial support from Lancaster council members. They said they wanted to wait until a consulting firm--PHH Fantus of Chicago--can be hired to study the issue and recommend ways of improving the region’s business climate.

In the end, the two councils agreed Tuesday to form a similar joint group made up of two members from each city, two from local businesses and one from the county government. But its mission will only be to oversee hiring of the consulting firm.

Ledford complained that the region already has so many different private and public groups that deal with economic development--a Palmdale city staff report cited 20--that businesses are not sure who to contact. None of the existing groups speak for the entire valley, Ledford said.

Underlying the disagreement is the belief by some Palmdale leaders that one of the most active current groups--the private, nonprofit Lancaster Economic Development Corp.--is too closely aligned with Lancaster to be fair to Palmdale.

Historically, the two cities have competed fiercely for projects such as shopping centers and auto malls because of the sales tax revenues they generate. And some Palmdale leaders apparently are worried the Lancaster development corporation might work harder to bring new businesses to Lancaster.

Thus, Ledford urged creating “a politically safe” group that would ensure “a level playing field” between the two cities in terms of recruiting businesses. But Lancaster Councilman George Runner replied, “I just don’t know if there is an entity that is politically safe.”

Earlier this year, a rival nonprofit group was formed--the Antelope Valley Economic Development Corp.--to recruit businesses to Palmdale, unincorporated Los Angeles County areas and Kern County, further complicating the range of organizations involved.

Vern Lawson Jr., executive director of the Lancaster development corporation and a former city manager of Lancaster, said he too supported waiting for the consultant’s findings before deciding the issue. But Lawson denied that his group favors Lancaster, saying it has been involved in many valleywide efforts.

Lawson also said he thought yet another group formed in the past year--the Antelope Valley Competitiveness Council--could represent the entire valley. But Ledford replied: “Politically, it hasn’t sold. And it’s still not selling.”