CORNWALL – A proposal to create a state monitor to oversee the Orange County Industrial Development Agency is included in the state budget, Senator James Skoufis (D, Cornwall) said Monday.
He proposed the plan months ago because of what he said is mismanagement by the agency.
“This Orange County IDA is so far off the rails you can’t even see the rails anymore,” he said. “They have no respect whatsoever for taxpayers. They cut bad deals after bad deals.”
Skoufis cited one recent incentive package for Royal Wines in Goshen, which he said would provide a per job subsidy amounting to $580,000. “Either the Orange County IDA are the worst negotiators on the face of the planet, or they simply don’t care about taxpayers,” the Democratic lawmaker said.
The senator said the monitor would give the taxpayers a voice and hold the IDA accountable.
Under the soon-to-be approved measure, the state inspector general’s office would oversee the monitor, the plan would sunset after three years unless the legislature opts to continue it and the IDA would be responsible for paying for the new fulltime position.
The Republican-controlled Orange County Legislature has gone on record opposed to the monitor.
