Email: "Lakes Play Vital Role In The Future Of County"
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No matter where you live in Chautauqua County, whether your house is near the shores of Chautauqua Lake or Lake Erie, the Chadakoin River or Canadaway Creek, whether you mark the end of the summer with the Festival of Grapes or the Busti Apple Festival, one thing is unquestionably true: Chautauqua County is a great place to live.


My wife Lori and I have talked about it many times - there is no better place to raise a family. We have three sons, Benjamin, Nathaniel and Zachary. We consider ourselves very lucky to have our boys growing up in the same county where we, too, grew up.


Also, like many of my friends with young families, I am unsure whether my kids will be so lucky. The economy is spiraling downward. We’re losing jobs and population at an excessive rate. Our school enrollments are in steep decline. If we are going to turn our economy around, if we are going to build an economy that has a healthy supply of good, high-paying jobs, we are going to have to move in a dramatically new direction. As part of that new direction, we must restore, protect and enhance our county’s lakes and waterways. This action is critical to the future of Chautauqua County.


Our water resources provide an economic advantage that sets the region apart from much of the rest of the country. Bringing in millions of dollars every year, the county’s lakes and waterways are meaningful to residents, tourists and small businesses. More and more, people tell me they are uneasy about the future of this vital economic asset.


At Wednesday’s Legislature meeting, we heard that a local real estate agent was told some of the visitors to Chautauqua Lake late this summer vowed never to return, due to the condition of the lake.


The first Chairman of the Chautauqua Lake Management Commission reminded us that 26 percent of the county’s tax base rests on the shores of Chautauqua Lake alone. If you include Cassadaga Lake, Bear Lake, Findley Lake and Lake Erie, it is hard to imagine how we would survive if these resources continue to decline. If we let our lakes and waterways continue to deteriorate, those tax revenues will be sorely lost, further exacerbating our already-high property taxes.


And considering what could happen to our tax rolls if we do not restore our water resources, citizens and government alike must move forward with a sense of urgency. I commend the actions of public officials like Legislature Chairman Keith Ahlstrom and Legislator Rudy Mueller who have taken decisive steps to help restore our lakes and waterways. Chairman Ahlstrom established the CLMC to create a Lake Management Plan for Chautauqua Lake; while Legislator Mueller worked tirelessly to limit phosphate runoff that is contributing to the algae boom and weed growth. The County Legislature took the lead in providing the funding streams for lake restoration projects.


We have a hard working County Watershed Coordinator and various other organizations, including the Chautauqua Lake Association and the Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy (CWC) to name a few, which have contributed greatly to the goal of lake restoration and enhancement.


There are several more imminent decisions about our water resources that will soon come before Chautauqua County. Saving our lakes and waterways will require decisive leadership and the willingness to take political risks. We cannot afford to waste time, putting off important decisions, failing to take positions or exert leadership. We need a county executive who will take strong action, who will instill a sense of urgency, who will courageously move forward to accomplish what’s best for our future.


I have vowed to provide the decisive leadership that is necessary to restore and enhance our water resources.


For example, when the Legislature passed a resolution enacting a 2 percent bed tax several years ago to provide funding for water restoration, the current county executive failed to act decisively: the legislation simply sat on his desk, never receiving his signature or veto.


When Legislator Mueller proposed his resolution banning phosphates to keep the lake weeds under control, the current county executive failed to act decisively: he offered neither support nor opposition for the resolution for almost two years.


When the Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy proposed that the county preserve a small section of land along Chautauqua Lakes shoreline to better control a critical portion of the watershed, the county executive remained silent on the debate.


When the commission recommended the establishment of a County Watershed Coordinator to provide much-needed expertise on the future direction of our water resources, the County Executive failed to act decisively: he waited several months for assurance there would be no criticism for adding the position.


As a legislator, I have vocally supported, and strongly advocated on behalf of, the above mentioned initiatives. Our county’s water resources are that critically connected to our county’s economic future. Important issues like our lakes and waterways deserve decisive leadership at the top.


I sincerely appreciate voters’ consideration of my commitment to lead Chautauqua County to new and bold opportunities.





Chuck Cornell is a candidate for Chautauqua County executive.

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