Chautauqua County missed the boat again when it comes to luring jobs.

Instead, it was Genesee County that gained a proposed $700 million solar manufacturing plant that could bring in between 600 and 1,000 workers over the next five years. “The pipeline has just begun to get flooded,” Mark Peterson, president and CEO of Greater Rochester Enterprise, told the Democrat and Chronicle of Rochester. “I think little Batavia is going to be a much wealthier, exciting place to live.”

As part of the major deal, there are plenty of state incentives. That is something our region will not be getting any time soon.

County Executive Vince Horrigan has noted his frustration in recent weeks. The fact this region is lagging in creating a north county water district – something that New York state wants to happen – our representatives and those they serve will continue to be punished through a lack of grants and incentives for a lack of cooperation.

While it hurts to say this – since our newspaper has been a community partner for 133 years – maybe the stick is a better philosophy than the carrot. The state has tried to make the water district happen through $2 million in grant money. But instead, our small-minded officials squabble over the crumbs while other counties, such as Erie and Genesee, are bringing home the bacon.

Batavia and Genesee County are growing its economy. It’s doing so through plenty of cooperation. When will our many elected leaders see the damage they are doing by thinking only about what is inside their municipal borders?