New lawmaker wins audience with governor

Catchpole urges Cuomo on economic development priorities

Though she's only served in the Niagara County Legislature since early June, Legislator Brittany Catchpole, D-Niagara, has already pitched New York's top leader on the county's economic priorities, scoring a face-to-face meeting with popular Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo Tuesday morning.

Catchpole, who was attending a meeting with Cuomo and regional leaders at the Roswell Park Cancer Institute Tuesday morning, reached out to Cuomo via local state officials and arranged a private, five-minute meeting to discuss concerns related to the governor's regional economic councils.

Following the closed-door meeting, where government photographers were allowed, briefly, to photograph the duo, Catchpole released the following statement:

"I appreciate Gov. Cuomo taking the time to speak with me directly as a representative of Niagara County. We spoke at length about many issues that have come to my attention since I took my oath as a county legislator, and he offered kind words of encouragement to me as a young person entering government service, as well as an open-ended invitation to visit his offices on the second floor of the State Capitol in Albany.

"I asked Gov. Cuomo to provide both the right resources and the right people to his regional economic councils, encouraging a role for both the head of the Niagara County Center for Economic Development, Sam Ferraro, and leadership of the Niagara USA Chamber of Commerce. With the Military Road-Fashion Outlets corridor in my district, I wanted Gov. Cuomo to understand how important a positive environment for economic development in New York state really is to the folks I represent.

"Gov. Cuomo reiterated to me his opposition to tax increases as both the state and local level, and I appreciated his position. I believe the governor is committed to revitalizing the Empire State, and welcome him as a partner to Niagara County.

"I believe we can work with Andrew Cuomo and his regional economic councils, and I am confident he will make use of some of Niagara County's best economic development leaders on them.

"And yes, I will take him up on that chance to visit his offices in Albany."