Brecksville Plans to Join Anti-Poaching Agreement

Brecksville will sign on to the county’s anti-poaching agreement, Mayor Jerry N. Hruby said earlier this week at the .

“We think it’s a good thing for the entire county,” Hruby said.

Cuyahoga County Executive Ed Fitzgerald introduced the anti-poaching protocol in the summer and revised it this fall. The protocol asks communities in Cuyahoga County not to entice businesses to leave one city for another, according to a media release from the executive’s office. When the plan was initially introduced in June, some local governments expressed concerns, so the county office made changes.

Hruby said Brecksville’s original concerns have been removed from the agreement, and he’s pleased that the county executive worked with mayors to change the protocol. Originally, cities wouldn't be considered for economic development money if they didn’t sign on, which the city viewed as a penalty. That has since changed, Hruby said.

Also, the original agreement didn’t allow for confidentiality for businesses that did want to move. The revised one allows for it, if the businesses ask.

Hruby said the city supports the principle of the agreement, which is to share information, agree to not poach businesses from one another and work together to promote the region.

All of the components of the agreement are available on the county executive’s website. For more details on the plan, check out this overview from The Plain Dealer.