Mayfield Village Mayor Supports County Anti-Poaching Protocol

Mayor Bruce Rinker wants his community to be the 18th to sign on with Cuyahoga County's business attraction and anti-poaching protocol.

The county effort, designed to improve economic development and relationships between cities, offers participation in a county $100 million economic development fund as an incentive. Language has been changed so cities do not have to call a company's home city if the company prefers to keep its search for a new location confidential.

Rinker said the term "anti-poaching" has attracted more negative attention that isn't deserved.

"I think it has more of a negative sound in connotation rather than substance," he said.

He said that with home rule there are 59 communities in Cuyahoga County competing against each other and that doesn't make sense. Instead, working together will bring more weight to the table and help when it comes to competing with cities in other counties, such as Mayfield Village did with Mentor in Lake County regarding an Avery Dennison Corp. facility.

"We went one-on-one with them," Rinker said. "With the county behind us, we'd be in a better negotiating position. I don't think we give up anything."

Ted Esborn, village development director, said signing the agreement would not harm the village's own efforts to attract businesses.

"This protocol doesn't really change any of our activity on the economic development front," he said.

Council President William Buckholtz said the agreement's really about bringing officials from different cities together regarding economic development of the region.

"I think it's more symbolic of bringing people to the table," Buckholtz said.

Communities that signed the anti-poaching agreement include Bedford, Berea, Euclid, Garfield Heights, Lakewood, Parma and Pepper Pike.