SEPTEMBER 12, 2008

ECIDA SHOULD REDEFINE INCENTIVE PRIORITIES

As a member of the Erie County Industrial Development Agency Board of Directors, I believe that the board needs to restate and redefine its overall guidelines for determining the granting of incentives. I have been advocating such plans since the beginning of the year. We also need to work together to quickly identify, prioritize and complement county-related economic development policies and projects to establish sound, measurable economic development policies.

As part of my efforts to foster a discussion of a policy decision-making framework and to reform economic development efforts, I have submitted several priorities for those of us on the ECIDA board to consider. ECIDA Policy Committee Chairman Phil Corwin has agreed to schedule a committee meeting to discuss these items, and I appreciate the cooperation and concern he has shown these policy matters.

I extended our continued cooperation in economic development efforts to the Empire State Development Corporation last year in letters dated July and October 2007, and will continue to work toward these goals through my membership in the New York State Association of Counties' Economic Development, Environmental and Rural Affairs Committee.

As published in the February 2008 Bee column, the priorities I believe the ECIDA board should consider include:

• The merging of economic development agencies, particularly Amherst and Erie County.
• Prioritizing the assistance for high potential industrial or service sector job growth, such as information technologies, biomedical, cultural tourism and waterfront commercialization.
• Assisting with new jobs for existing companies and job retention, particularly Buffalo-based firms.
• Monitoring and routine reporting out of individual project-funded job creation.
• Collaborating and partnering with the Empire State Development Corporation.
• Creating a shared agenda with workforce development areas, including Erie Community College and the Buffalo and Erie County Workforce Investment Board, and determining county capital projects and investments in regional infrastructure.

With an overwhelming need to work together to use existing resources to their best extent, it is key for the ECIDA to establish a working relationship and to find ways to complement county incentives with state incentives. This is the best way to move forward on our shared agenda with the state and to make certain that our funds and resources are used in focused and coordinated manners.

It is crucial that we clarify the ECIDA's efforts and focus on those issues and development activities that will not only address vital issues currently facing the board, but will allow the ECIDA to move into the future and be in a prime position to assist development and business efforts that will provide for real economic advancement for Erie County.

We must be proactive in our approach so we can properly use incentives to address development issues with a proper plan of action as they occur, and not react in a crisis mode.

Clarifying, focusing and making certain the ECIDA's incentives for development are coordinated with other governmental development efforts are vital elements in maximizing the positive effects our board can help implement in Erie County.

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