MAYVILLE – The Chautauqua County Legislature will be holding its monthly meeting tonight in Mayville and among the items on the agenda is a local law dealing with a ban on tobacco products on county-owned property. The law was first introduced and discussed during the July voting session. During that meeting, legislature Tom Erlandson (D-Frewsburg) called for an amendment to the law, excluding areas of county-owned parks and forests. The law will return to the floor tonight with action excepted to be taken by the full legislature.
One of the other resolutions that will be introduced tonight is one dealing with the businesses that are hired to do work with funding from the Chautauqua County Industrial Development Agency. Legislator Bob Whitney (D-Jamestown) – who also serves as the minority leader – will introduce a resolution tonight making it a requirement that any project that receives funding or assistance from the county needs to have local workers involved in the project.
“Ninety percent of labor has to come from the local area and not bringing in people from outside of the area so they can send the money back home. It’s local tax dollars and it should stay in the local area,” Whitney explained to WRFA. “And also the suppliers – any supplies used in a project that is assisted by the county should come from the five area counties.”
Whitney said that the five counties included in the resolution are Chautauqua County along with Erie and Cattaraugus Counties in New York and Warren and Erie Counties in Pennsylvania.
Whitney also said that a similar law is already on the books in the Buffalo area. “Erie County has a similar law, as far as labor. I don’t think that they have the building materials included – that’s something we added. But it is something that is going on in Erie County and I’m going to try and get it going on here and in Cattaraugus County and everywhere else.”
Whitney’s resolution was brought before committee last week but was tabled until next month. However, Whitney said he still plans to bring the resolution to the floor during tis month’s legislature meeting.
Tonight’s voting session begins at 6:30 p.m. in the legislative chambers and is open to the public.
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