Montgomery: Transparency for None At All

Dear Nieces and Nephews:

Yes, it should read Transparency for ONE AND ALL, but sad to say, there is NO accountability or transparency for the Town of Montgomery IDA (Industrial Development Agency.)

 

As you can see, the Town’s IDA, with meetings on the same night as the planning board, has not provided agendas or minutes since 2018. Not on the Town website. Not on the IDA website.

  

  

   

Sad to say, you do NOT know how they spend YOUR money. Despite criticism from the NYS State Comptroller, the Authorities Budget Office* or a few NYS Senators.

 

The Town of Montgomery Industrial Development Agency (IDA) granted $1.8 million in net tax abatements in fiscal year 2018.

Six projects received financial assistance in fiscal year 2018: Kadge, LLC, Polich Tallix, Hudson Heritage Federal Credit Union, Spruce Properties, LLC, United Natural Foods, Inc. and Goodwill Properties.

The number of jobs that were created as a result of tax incentives was 50.5 for four of the six projects, and the current number of full-time employees is 144. The property with the most jobs created was Goodwill Properties, with 23 jobs created. Polich Tallix and United Natural Foods did not provide employment information.

and

“The need for close scrutiny of economic development efforts has never been higher,” DiNapoli said in a press release. “My office releases IDA data so New Yorkers can examine if incentives given out to create and retain jobs in their communities are worth it.”

http://timeshudsonvalley.com/stories/montgomery-ida-grants-18-million-in-tax-breaks,8237

 

1. The IDA failed to provide adequate notice to the community of a July 17, 2013 Special Hearing, at which the IDA voted to approve financial assistance to UNFI.

2. UNFI’s application for financial assistance was incomplete.

3. The IDA did not respond in a timely manner to Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) requests for relevant information on the UNFI project.

4. An IDA board member failed to disclose a potential conflict of interest prior to voting to approve financial assistance to UNFI.

https://www.abo.ny.gov/reports/compliancereviews/FinalReportontheInvestigationofComplaintAgainstTownofMontgomeryIDA2014.pdf 

·  Ban IDA assistance where the project occupant is secret. Bluewater, a project developer that applied for IDA tax relief from the Town of Montgomery, has not publicly disclosed who the project occupant is.

·  Prohibit elected officials within the jurisdiction of an IDA from serving on that IDA’s board. In Orange County, we have a handful of elected officials who sit on the IDA board.

https://www.nysenate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/james-skoufis/senators-skoufis-and-mayer-announce-introduction-ida-reform    

* The same ABO that criticized Maureen Halahan of the Orange County Partnership for claiming to be a private entity when the OC Partnership was partially funded by your Tax Dollars. 

**50.5 for four of the six projects ???  

Hey Maureen! 50.5 jobs for over $1.8 million? Is this your idea of Jobs! Jobs! Jobs! ? Why don’t you just give 50 and a half people the tax breaks instead? Over $35K in tax breaks each for 50 and a half people!!! We'll take it!!!!

Orangre County meet the big rip-off!