Orange County IDA oversight role to continue for another 3 years
Originally published in
Times Union
on
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ALBANY — State lawmakers voted Thursday to extend an independent monitor for the Orange County Industrial Development Agency, defying members of the powerful local economic development body who have sought to scrap the oversight role.
The position has long been a source of conflict, with county officials calling it an unnecessary waste of taxpayer dollars. In October, the IDA hired an Albany lobbying firm to persuade lawmakers to get rid of the monitor at the end of his three-year term this month. The monitor, Brian Sanvidge, also claimed late last year that the county had largely stopped paying him.
Senate Bill S9005B, which passed the state Legislature on Thursday afternoon, included a provision to rehire Sanvidge, a forensic accountant, to scrutinize the IDA’s decisions for the next three years. The extension comes with “some significant changes” that will expand the position’s oversight and authority, Sanvidge told the Times Union. The IDA will now face penalties if they continue to withhold payment under the new law, he added.
The bill now heads to the desk of Gov. Kathy Hochul, who had already committed to signing it before its passage.
In a statement, the IDA condemned the decision to continue oversight.
“We’re disappointed that some of our own representatives in the state Legislature ignored the facts around this IDA and instead chose to impede Orange County’s ability to attract successful companies and quality jobs,” according to the agency.
State lawmakers first approved the monitor in a 2023 state budget bill on transportation and economic development. The $250,000 annual position is paid for by fees the IDA charges companies that apply for financial incentives in Orange County.
State Sen. James Skoufis, D-Cornwall, has championed the oversight position and advocated for its extension. Skoufis, who chairs the
Senate’s Committee on Investigations and Government Operations and whose district includes the Orange County IDA’s territory, has long accused the IDA of fostering a culture of corporate greed and giving unfair tax breaks to corporations seeking to do business in the county.
Skoufis, who was scheduled to make remarks about the extension Friday afternoon, has said the position is needed to oversee the agency’s practices for granting tax breaks to incentivize economic development — known as payment-in-lieu-of-taxes agreements, or PILOTs.
In 2023, the state approved the monitor position, which falls under the state Offices of the Inspector General. The following year, Sanvidge was hired to oversee IDA decisions, particularly approvals for development projects and tax breaks.
The monitor did not find any major compliance issues nor violations of policies, laws and regulations after an extensive review of IDA operations in 2024, one year into his oversight term. But he did recommend dozens of administrative changes to strengthen oversight. And in another report issued earlier this month, Sanvidge said he had continued to identify “recurring issues” across the IDA’s operations, including the need for better documentation and more reliable tracking of projects’ obligations and financial incentives.
In November of last year, Sanvidge vetoed a deal that would have granted Amazon more than $80 million in tax savings for a proposed mega-warehouse because he said he had not received enough information from the company to make an informed decision. Amazon representatives and IDA leaders harshly criticized the decision, saying it would cost the county jobs and revenue.
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