Union reps back Cedar Fair tax abatement

Friday, 15 August 2003

Union representatives from the Sandusky area spoke in favor of a 10-year, 100-percent tax abatement for Cedar Fair at yesterday's Erie County Commissioners' meeting, the Sandusky Register reported.

Bill Crawford, business representative with a local carpenters' union, said he wants to make sure Cedar Fair hires local people to work on the project. He added that those who work on the construction should get union prevailing wages.

Cedar Fair is a private company and doesn't have to bid the project, according to Mike Will, Sandusky Economic Development Specialist. The company has agreed in a contract to "exercise its best efforts to give preference in hiring, first to qualified resident of the city of Sandusky, and then to qualified residents of Erie County, in the amount of 75 percent," according to Sandusky city records.

Erie County commissioners are scheduled to vote on the abatement on August 21.