Committee introduces emergency motion urging federal support to retain Job Corps center; discussion but no recorded final vote

A committee member introduced an emergency motion at the June 18 Planning & Economic Development meeting calling on county lawmakers to urge federal officials to sustain funding for the local Job Corps center.

The motion’s text, as read into the record, described Job Corps’ longstanding presence in Chautauqua County, said as many as 100 local jobs could be lost if federal funding ends, and asked the county to call on federal representatives and the president to continue federal funding. Committee members expressed broad support for keeping the Job Corps center open and for adding the committee’s names to the appeal. At least one legislator asked for measurable benchmarks from Job Corps — for example, training outcomes and cost-effectiveness — before committing full endorsement. Staff and other members said the center provides vocational training and local employment and should be preserved.

The record shows the motion was introduced and that several legislators supported it and discussed next steps, including collecting committee signatures and forwarding the request to federal officials. The transcript does not record a formal committee vote on the emergency motion before the meeting adjourned.

Ending: The motion was introduced and discussed with apparent committee support in principle; staff and legislators requested additional program metrics and a path for circulating signatures before the next formal legislative action.