The Chautauqua County Department of Planning & Development works collaboratively with the County of Chautauqua Industrial Development Agency and other partners to advance economic prosperity throughout the County. The Department is responsible for improving economic conditions through a variety of activities to facilitate private investment, create and retain jobs, and increase the tax base. To achieve this, the Department focuses its efforts to:

• Assist businesses and industries wishing to locate, relocate, expand, purchase equipment and/or modernize in Chautauqua County by helping to secure funding, incentives, governmental services and other types of assistance necessary for such location, expansion, modernization and startup;
• Coordinate the efforts of all appropriate entities in providing skilled, motivated, and trained personnel for the County’s workforce needs;
• Assist the County’s small businesses in meeting their development needs, and work with the appropriate entities to help foster business startups and growth;
• Identify and facilitate the preparation of transformative projects that will result in County-wide impacts by bringing together Economic Development Related stakeholders throughout the County in a public/private partnership;
• Provide for the acquisition, maintenance, clearance, improvement, demolition, grading, or other physical conditions, and other necessary site preparation work at sites as part of a community or economic development project;
• Coordinate all business retention, expansion, and attraction efforts throughout and on behalf of the County by working with local, County, and State stakeholders to facilitate private investment, the retention and expansion of jobs, and improvement of the quality of life in Chautauqua County;
• Purchase, upgrade, and maintain parcels and sites that possess the infrastructure and amenities coveted by businesses for current and future development needs;
• Oversee and administer the County’s Tourism Occupancy Tax Program which assists tourism related providers in fulfilling their missions; and
• Work with utility providers to ensure the appropriate utility infrastructure needs are being met for community and economic development projects.