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John J. Mills - District 13 April, 2007 Mills remarks on local culture Did you happen to see any of the exciting NCAA Basketball Tournament action? I did. However, the action I am talking about didn't happen on the court. It was the fans who came to the Buffalo area to watch opening round games. They explored Western New York, shopped in our stores and ate in our restaurants. The event was a great opportunity to welcome people from across the country and showcase our many natural, historic and cultural venues. It was a great success that gave a much needed economic boost to our area. I heard one fan describe the area as a "best kept secret." This needs to change. As all of us who live here know, Western New York has many great things to offer. We have ESPN's top ranked fan friendly professional sports franchise in the Buffalo Sabres, as well as the Bills, Bandits and Bisons. We have a world class modern art museum. We have an impressive collection of architecture. We have an active theater scene, bustling night life and great food. We are the home of two former Presidents of the United States, the Roycroft movement and are rich in history. We offer year round outdoor activities and are a short drive from Niagara Falls. Yet, people still come here and declare Western New York a "best kept secret." If more people knew what we have to offer, we could boost our local merchants, improve the perception of Western New York in the eyes of the country and show people that Western New York is a great place to live, work and play. The direct result would be a more robust economy. A more robust economy would create more investment into the area. More investment means more jobs and more stability. In order to kick start getting the word out about Western New York to the rest of the country, I am co-sponsoring a resolution calling for all revenues from the "bed tax" to be dedicated to the Convention and Visitors Bureau. The "bed tax" is a tax added to the bill of everyone staying in a hotel in Erie County. It was originated to fund the activities of Convention and Visitors Bureau to bring more tourists, and tourist dollars, to the area. A few years back, these funds were used to patch holes in the budget, rather than promote the Convention and Visitors Bureau's efforts. As such, the Convention and Visitors Bureau has not been able to properly market the tourism opportunities of Western New York. Western New York became a "best kept secret." It does not make sense to spend millions of dollars developing the waterfront to make it a "best kept secret." By rededicating the "bed tax" to its original purpose, the Convention and Visitors Bureau will be able to attract more events like the NCAA tournament, book more conventions and drive tourists to the area. Of course, this means more tourist dollars being spent here. Every tourist dollar spent results in sales tax revenue for the county. As such, by increasing the budget of the Convention and Visitors Bureau through the "bed tax", the county will generate even more money in sales tax revenue to make up for any shortfall created by the transfer. It is a plan that benefits the county, benefits local merchants and benefits anyone who works or pays taxes in Erie County. I would like to hear your thoughts on the promoting tourism in Erie County. Please contact me at my District Office, located at 431 Main Street in East Aurora. My telephone number is 655-5650. You can also reach me by email at jmills13@erie.gov. Back to District 13 Homepage