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Larson's push to make private-sector job creation the county priority sent to committee after heated debate
Summary
Legislator Mark Larson introduced a resolution to declare private-sector and nonprofit job creation Chautauqua County's top economic goal; after extended debate the legislature voted 12-7 to refer the proposal to committee for further work.
Legislator Larson proposed a resolution declaring private-sector and nonprofit job creation the county's number-one economic development goal, citing recent plant closures and a long-term decline in county employment. After floor debate, the legislature voted 12-7 to send the measure to committee for further consideration.
Larson, the resolution's sponsor, read a series of findings that said the county recently lost jobs at Bush Industries (230), Serta Mattress (100), Truck-Lite (350), Monofrax (79), and other employers and asserted a drop in employment of roughly 14,000 over the past 15 years. "Without new jobs, it can't be just an effort to retain what we have," Larson said, urging a clear single focus on job creation.
Other legislators pushed back or sought refinement. Legislator Johnson said he would prefer the resolution go to committee so the body could first identify budget offsets before committing general fund balance. Legislator Penhall and others asked for direct input from former employers about why they left the county. Legislator DeJoy and Legislator Nelson described job creation as foundational, while Legislator Harmon and Legislator Lewis warned against diluting the measure's language if it returns from committee.
Speaker exchanges often centered on what "priority" means in practice and whether existing documents already address job creation. Several legislators referenced a recent 29-page economic development strategy and questioned whether that plan adequately prioritized jobs. Larson criticized prior versions as too diffuse and said he wanted a concise statement that would direct county resources and tools toward bringing employers and jobs to Chautauqua County.
The motion before the body was not to adopt Larson's language but to refer the resolution back to committee for revision and vetting. The roll-call on the motion to refer recorded 12 yes votes and 7 no votes; the motion carried and the resolution was sent to committee.
Next steps: the resolution will be considered at committee, where members said they expect to refine language, examine supporting data cited by Larson, and solicit information from local employers and the Industrial Development Agency before bringing a revised proposal back to the full legislature.
