SEPTEMBER 12, 2008

COUNTY LEGISLATURE CHAIR MARINELLI CALLS FOR ECIDA BOARD TO CLARIFY INCENTIVE POLICIES, PROCEDURES

Erie County Legislature Chair Lynn M. Marinelli (D-Buffalo, Tonawanda), a member of the Erie County Industrial Agency Board of Directors, is appealing to the ECIDA board for a clarification of agency incentive policies and procedures.

Legislator Marinelli, as a member of the board's Policy Committee, is continuing her attempts to clarify the board's focus to include prioritizing high potential job growth sectors, including information technologies, biomedical companies, cultural tourism and waterfront commercialization.

She is also advocating for merging economic development agencies and enhancing collaborations with the Empire State Development Corporation and workforce development agencies.

"I am pleased that ECIDA Policy Committee Chairman Phil Corwin has agreed to schedule a board meeting to discuss a list of discussion items that I am proposing," Legislator Marinelli said. "Among the policy areas I have identified for clarification are local economic development agency mergers, small business expansion and enhanced collaboration between the Empire State Development Corporation, workforce development agencies and the ECIDA.

"I see a sense of urgency in Erie County, as well as on the state and national levels, to improve workforce development and small business expansion, particularly for Buffalo-based firms," she added. "In a letter I wrote to my fellow ECIDA board members September 3, I have repeated my call for a redefinition of ECIDA incentive priorities."

For more information on Chair Marinelli's entire list of appeals for a redefinition of ECIDA incentive priorities, people can call Director of Communications Kevin J. Hosey at 858-8607.

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