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Legislators Discusses Additional Bed Tax Funding For Powerboat Race

From left, Hector Rosas, Dunkirk festivals and special events coordinator, Wilfred Rosas, Dunkirk mayor, and George Borrello, county executive, discussing the Great Lakes Offshore Grand Prix that is slated to take place Aug. 17-19 along the Lake Erie shoreline in Dunkirk. P-J photo by Dennis Phillips

MAYVILLE — Is the offshore powerboat race along Lake Erie worth an additional $20,000 in bed tax funding?

According to city of Dunkirk officials, the answer is definitely “Yes.”

On Wednesday, Wilfred Rosas, Dunkirk mayor, and Hector Rosas, Dunkirk festivals and special events coordinator, discussed the Great Lakes Offshore Grand Prix that will feature powerboats from the Race World Offshore racing league.

With the end of the Dunkirk Air Show, which had been held the last two years along the Dunkirk lakeshore, city officials would like the $12,000 in occupancy tax funding that has already been allocated for the air show to go toward the powerboat race. Also, they have asked the county legislature to approve an additional $20,500 in bed tax funding for the three-day event that is slated to take place Aug. 17-19.

Mayor Rosas said city officials will not be able to host the event without the additional funding assistance from the county. He said they reached out to state officials for funding, but unfortunately Dunkirk officials missed the I Love NY tourism funding deadline for this year. He added that state officials said they would be interested in funding the powerboat race in 2019.

Hector Rosas said more than 600 hotel rooms will be booked for the event, which will generate additional bed tax revenues for the county. He also said the event will also help local restaurants, gas stations and other businesses with the additional tourist who will be in the county because of the race.

The event will start with a community parade Friday, with powerboat race time trials on Saturday and the finals on Sunday.

Additional sponsors for the event include Athenex, DFT Communications and Lake Shore Savings Bank. Mayor Rosas said collectively the three main sponsors will be funding around $65,000 for the event, of which the total cost is $150,000.

The powerboat race will be televised on NBC Sports, which will make it the second, along with the LECOM Health Challenge at Peek’n Peak Resort, nationally viewed sporting event in Chautauqua County this summer. Hector Rosas said the event will be broadcast to 105 countries, with county officials having an opportunity to air a commercial about local attractions.

The committee approved the proposal, which is scheduled to be voted on by the whole legislature during their monthly meeting at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Gerace Office Building in Mayville.

In other business, Dave McCoy, county watershed coordinator, discussed the state grant to analyze the economic impact of Lake Erie. Next week, legislators will be voting on the proposal to appropriate $5,000 in 2 percent occupancy tax reserves toward a proposal to develop the Lake Erie waterfront. The Northern Chautauqua County Community Foundation’s Local Economic Development Committee has applied for a $35,000 grant from the state Local Waterfront Revitalization Program to hire a consultant to determine the economic impact of three Lake Erie harbors — Barcelona, Dunkirk and Cattaraugus Creek — and the entire waterfront.

According to the resolution, the economic impact analysis would support the effort to operate and maintain the harbors and the waterfront. The analysis would also support and encourage economic development and private investment. Officials from Dunkirk, Hanover and Westfield are also partners in the proposal.

McCoy said this is the second year they have applied for the grant, being unsuccessful last year. He said they have a better opportunity to receive the state grant this year because they have additional funding partners and they have changed the focus of the application to development along the Lake Erie shoreline.

George Borrello, county executive, said it is important for a analysis to be done on the economic impact of the harbors and Lake Erie so county officials have actual dollar figures and not speculative numbers when trying to encourage development along the shoreline.

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