Chautauqua County Legislature adopts amended resolution making job creation a top county government priority for next four years

The Chautauqua County Legislature adopted an amended resolution on Aug. 27 stating that job creation and retention will be a top economic development priority for county government for the next four years.

The final measure, passed after an amendment by substitution, carried on a roll call of 13 yes, 5 no and 1 member absent. The motion to amend by substitution passed earlier in the meeting, 14 yes to 4 no with 1 absent.

The debate centered on competing views about whether a one-line goal—"job creation as the number one goal"—was the right policy signal for the legislature. Legislator Larson opposed the amendment and the original version, saying the amended language read as "propaganda" and was legally inaccurate about the roles of county entities such as the county and the Chautauqua County Industrial Development Agency. Larson argued past county practice showed the county itself had financed and built industrial parks and infrastructure, not solely the IDA.

Legislator Nelson said job growth should be the legislature's emphasis, citing the county's…