Agreement Reached on IDA Sales-Tax Exemptions?

By Christopher A. Andreucci - As budget news begins to trickle out of Albany, there is word of an agreement regarding the governor’s proposal to shift awarding the state share of sales-tax exemptions from local industrial development agencies (IDAs) to the regional economic development councils…

Proposed Elimination of State Sales-Tax Exemption for Some IDA Projects – In or Out?

By The Editorial Team Will the governor’s proposal to shift the awards of state sales-tax exemptions from local industrial development agencies to the regional economic development councils remain in the state budget? There has been some indication that this proposal may be eliminated in the final budget. Nonetheless, we thought a recent Democrat & Chronicle story on the topic merits a look at the issue when it was first brought to attention in late February. In the story, Judy Seil, executive director of the County of Monroe Industrial Development Agency, talked...

Harris Beach Secures Court Ruling to Foster Economic Development

By The Editorial Team - A. Vincent Buzard, leader of the Harris Beach Appellate Litigation and Advocacy Practice Group, argued on behalf of American Rock Salt Company LLC and Elmer W. Davis, Inc., in two successful petitions before the Appellate Division, Third Department…

Want a PLA? Show Me the Savings!

By Christopher A. Andreucci - A recent ruling by a State Supreme Court Justice has reinforced the fact that in order to mandate a Project Labor Agreement (PLA) in a public works contract, the burden falls to the public authority to establish that such a requirement advances the interests embodied in the competitive bidding statutes (e.g., best work at the lowest possible cost and preventing favoritism from becoming a factor in awarding public contracts)...

Tax Jurisdictions Need to Find Stability Where They Can – IDA PILOTs are Part of the Answer

In the wake of the enactment and early implementation of the New York Real Property Tax Levy Limit (the so-called "Tax Cap Law"), there has been some speculation as to the role payments in-lieu-of taxes ("PILOTs") might play in this respect. Some of the commentary has concluded that, under the formula for calculating the annual levy limit, PILOTs may prove to be disadvantageous. Our communities, though, need PILOTs now more than ever. PILOTs provide significant benefits to municipalities that simply cannot be ignored even in the face of the mechanical application of the formula to calculate the annual "2%" tax cap...

Comments on Comptroller’s IDA Report

New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli released a report in July analyzing the performance of New York State's Industrial Development Agencies (IDAs) for fiscal year ending 2009. Not surprisingly, the report is critical of IDAs and the manner in which the municipalities throughout the state use IDAs and Local Development Corporations (LDCs) to further economic development efforts...