Mayfield Heights Council Rejects County Anti-Poaching Protocol

will not being part of the county's effort to bring communities together on economic development.

City Council voted 5-2 Monday against having Mayor Gregory Costabile sign on to the county's anti-poaching protocol, an effort to have communities pledge not to approach businesses to move to their city from elsewhere in Cuyahoga County.

"I see no benefit to the city. I think the county ought to focus their efforts on fixing that bridge instead of doing this right now," Councilwoman Donna Finney said.

Councilman Nino Monaco said he was concerned that Beachwood and Westlake, two major players regarding economic development, were not among the 20 communities that have signed on.

He also said the city would not directly benefit from the county's revolving $100 million fund for economic development.

"The loan is not to the city it's to the business, so the city gets no benefit from it," Monaco said.

Costabile said he was disappointed with council's decision, but he was more concerned with the disconnect that appeared to have taken place.

"I don't know that the council members that didn't support it really understood what it states," he said.

Costabile said council was not accepting what he had to say as the city's lead person on economic development or the opinion of Law Director Leonard Carr, who said the agreement would not negatively impact the city's economic development efforts.

"When they say, 'This is my reason' regardless of what they've been told in response to their questions, they may have other motives than what is in the document," Costabile said.