Time Warner Cable will receive $6.65 million in sales tax breaks from the Erie County Industrial Development Agency, with the expectation that Time Warner will protect about 1,000 local jobs now provided by Adelphia Communications.


Time Warner is completing its acquisition of bankrupt Adelphia's assets in the region. Local economic development officials have wondered whether the ownership change would put Adelphia jobs, such as call-center positions, at risk of being reduced or moved out of town.

ECIDA officials said the tax incentive, part of a bond sale resolution approved by the board on Monday, is expected to keep the local jobs intact for at least five years. The sales tax breaks are tied to Time Warner's $46.6 million acquisition of equipment from Adelphia and its planned $62 million in spending on new equipment and training.
"We think this was a very delicate balancing issue between [Time Warner's] needs, the thousand jobs, and taking care of the county and the taxpayers," said Al Culliton, the ECIDA's chief financial officer.
The incentive is particularly targeted at 700 Adelphia jobs considered at greatest risk, such as 500 call center positions and additional 200 technology-related jobs that involve monitoring cable, telecommunications and Internet facilities. Local officials worry they could lose those jobs to other U.S. cities or overseas operations.

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