KINGSTON – The Ulster County Economic Development Agency Board has disputed criticisms of the agency by County Comptroller March Gallagher.
“UCEDA plays a valuable and unique role in county government as an economic development tool for betterment of Ulster County,” the board said in a statement.
“UCEDA has recently provided critical support to small businesses as well as played an important role in catalyzing reinvestment in the Tech City site now known as iPark87,” the board said.
It said over the past year, the agency has “undergone significant changes to staff and board membership and has invested in outside counsel to address and improve previously communicated issues from the comptroller’s office.”
The board challenged criticisms that it hindered or removed public comment from meetings, that it lacked notice for board meetings, that board materials were not made public, and that it had lagging and incorrect financial reporting.
The also challenged claims of improper tax treatment of income, lack of documentation for the environmental remediation credit for iPark, lack of segregation and accounting of funds for UCEDA funds including the impress escrow account for transaction costs to sell the former IBM property, and a lack of transparency on the costs to taxpayers associated with maintenance of the former IBM property.
