PARMA --

Cuyahoga County Executive Ed FitzGerald said that on Tuesday he will announce a buyer of the county-owned Ameritrust Tower in downtown Cleveland.

The county bought the tower and surrounding buildings about five years ago, before the new county government replaced the three-commissioner system.

The plan, which fell through, was to make the Ameritrust campus the county's new administrative offices.

"It will be great to get that (building) off our backs," FitzGerald said.

FitzGerald made these comments earlier tonight during a town-hall meeting at Parma City Hall. About 50 county residents and public officials attended.

FitzGerald said that in January he will announce plans for more of the county's 66 buildings. It will be part of a county building-consolidation plan.

Selling some of these buildings will save the county millions of dollars, FitzGerald said.

During his presentation, FitzGerald said the new county government has saved money in other ways.

For example, FitzGerald said the county now has 400 fewer employees compared to when he took office.

Many of those jobs were cut from the former county Auditor's Office -- which was run by Frank Russo -- and which is now the county Fiscal Office.

FitzGerald said those cuts have not meant poorer services. In fact, he said, services have improved.

FitzGerald said he will soon announce a 10-year plan to reduce the number of emergency dispatch centers in the county from 48 to 10.

FitzGerald said that nationally, the suggested number of dispatch centers for an area the size of Cuyahoga County is six.

Consolidating dispatch centers is part of FitzGerald's push toward regionalism. He said the county will not provide the dispatch centers but will help communities to consolidate them.

FitzGerald also touted his recently-announced plan to create college savings accounts for children entering kindergarten. The county would deposit $100 in each interest-accruing account.

FitzGerald said the program will create savings accounts for all children, not just the needy.

"We are going to be known for this program," FitzGerald said. "It will be the largest of its kind in the country."

FitzGerald also mentioned a new $100 million county economic-development fund. He said it is the largest such fund of any county in Ohio.

FitzGerald said the economic-development fund loans and sometimes gives money, mostly to small businesses that need help increasing their payrolls.