Reply With QuoteTo be honest, you may want to call Dave at his office. He has always been very helpful whenever we have called/visited his office. I am sure he will answer your question as honestly as he can.Originally Posted by shortstuff
with Mr. Marrano seeking interest in the assessor's position in Cheektowaga?
To be honest, you may want to call Dave at his office. He has always been very helpful whenever we have called/visited his office. I am sure he will answer your question as honestly as he can.
[QUOTE=4248;580249]I am interested in getting that information as well. Examine the January 5th Organizational Meeting and regular meeting minutes and nowhere will you find among the numerous Town Board appointments any mention of LIDA member appointments. I read the same document as 4248 and understood that the LIDA members vote amongst themselves. What's really going on here?Very little legal power, just to appoint one or more members.
Please explain:"just to appoint one or more members"
Are you saying the "Town Board has the ability to appoint Members?
Where is that written?
Thank You!
I didn't see the appointments in the 2009 minutes either. But they are in the 1/7/2008 minutes on pg 11.Originally posted by Lee Chowaniec:
Examine the January 5th Organizational Meeting and regular meeting minutes and nowhere will you find among the numerous Town Board appointments any mention of LIDA member appointments.
INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT AGENCY:
BARNHARDT, JOSEPH R., be and is hereby appointed Consultant, Industrial Development Agency to
serve at will of the Town Board.
BENZEL, ROBERT G., be and is hereby appointed Chief Executive Officer, Industrial Development
Agency to serve at will of Town Board.
BROWN, DAVID, be and is hereby appointed Chief Financial Officer, Industrial Development Agency
to serve at will of Town Board
FIALKIEWICZ, FRANK, be and is hereby appointed Member, Industrial Development Agency to
serve at will of the Town Board.
GIZA, ROBERT H., be and is hereby appointed Member and Chairman, Industrial Development
Agency to serve at will of the Town Board.
KURTZMAN, SHELDON, be and is hereby appointed Member, Industrial Development Agency to
serve at will of the Town Board.
MEYER, JEROME R., be and is hereby appointed Member, Industrial Development Agency to serve
at will of the Town Board.
NUNAN, E. JAMES, be and is hereby appointed Member, Industrial Development Agency to serve at
will of the Town Board.
TATE SR., WILLIAM D., be and is hereby appointed Member, Industrial Development Agency to
serve at will of the Town Board.
VISONE, JOHN, be and is hereby appointed Member, Industrial Development Agency to serve at will
of the Town Board.
http://www.erie.gov/lancaster/pdfs/m...BM01.07.08.pdf
Last edited by gorja; December 8th, 2009 at 06:38 PM. Reason: Insert link
Georgia L Schlager
Good research Gorja
I did go back to 2002 and found that at the Organizational Meetings held on the first regular meeting of the Town Board, in the years 2002, 2004, 2006 and 2008 the minutes showed that the Town Board appointed members of the Lancaster IDA.
In 2007, VISONE, JOHN, be and is appointed Member, Industrial Development Agency to serve at the will of the Town Board.
In 2003, 2005, 2007 (with the exception of Visone) and 2009, no LIDA appointment announcements were made.
So it appears LIDA member appointments are made by the Town Board on alternate years and that members serve for two years. According to the LIDA by-laws: The officers of the Agency shall be elected by the members of the Agency to their respective positions and shall enjoy a term of office of one (1) year.
Going back to 2002, with the exception of the appointment of John Visone in 2007, the LIDA membership remains unchanged.
Note that the language used to appoint LIDA members is the same as used for the appointment of Visone in 2007: “be and is appointed Member, Industrial Development Agency to serve at the will of the Town Board.” And yet Supervisor Giza maintains that the Town Board has no control over LIDA decisions. Strange.
When asked by a resident: "Who is Robert BENZEL" during a tour of the Cole Craft Building - Supervisor B.Giza claimed not to know exactly! At the vary same time he was negotiating for the purchase of the Cole Craft Building from his fellow IDA Board Member Mr.Robert Benzel.
When first asked about complaints and aircraft safety issues at the Lancaster Airport, Supervisor B.Giza said, "To be honest, its the first I've heard about any complaints." - Later that was proven false and the airport manager was fired.
When asked about Town Board involvement with a possible Lan Airport Expansion, Supervisor Giza said, "I don't know much about it, I'll look into it." While at the same time he headed the IDA and Town Board doing the paper work relating to its funding and tax breaks.
In both cases he knew much more than he admitted. He sat as Chairman of The Lancaster IDA and signed paper work to facilitate both deals and tax breaks involved. So he was less than honest in both answers.
In both cases he sat on the Town Board as Supervisor and helped push both deals for approval. Knowing full well both would use tax dollars and both would receive tax breaks.
He also denied the Towns Authority in the Airport matter.
He also approved a project review process that purposefully excluded Lancaster's taxpaying residents input.
TO BE HONEST: Supervisor/IDA Chairman Bob Giza should resign !
When will he come clean on the total compensation he quietly recieves from all the Boards and seats he fills?
#Dems play musical chairs + patronage and nepotism = entitlement !
Seriously, is it possible Bob has memory loss? If so, he better retire soon.When asked by a resident: "Who is Robert BENZEL" during a tour of the Cole Craft Building - Supervisor B.Giza claimed not to know exactly! At the vary same time he was negotiating for the purchase of the Cole Craft Building from his fellow IDA Board Member Mr.Robert Benzel.
When first asked about complaints and aircraft safety issues at the Lancaster Airport, Supervisor B.Giza said, "To be honest, its the first I've heard about any complaints." - Later that was proven false and the airport manager was fired.
When asked about Town Board involvement with a possible Lan Airport Expansion, Supervisor Giza said, "I don't know much about it, I'll look into it." While at the same time he headed the IDA and Town Board doing the paper work relating to its funding and tax breaks.
In both cases he knew much more than he admitted. He sat as Chairman of The Lancaster IDA and signed paper work to facilitate both deals and tax breaks involved. So he was less than honest in both answers.
In both cases he sat on the Town Board as Supervisor and helped push both deals for approval. Knowing full well both would use tax dollars and both would receive tax breaks.
He also denied the Towns Authority in the Airport matter.
He also approved a project review process that purposefully excluded Lancaster's taxpaying residents input.
TO BE HONEST: Supervisor/IDA Chairman Bob Giza should resign !
When will he come clean on the total compensation he quietly recieves from all the Boards and seats he fills?
IDA Policy
Perhaps it would appropriate to read the IDA policy that has just been amended and will go into effect on January 1.
http://www.amherstida.com/incentives/UTEPFinal2009.pdf
If one does read it, I would be interested if that individual believes it better suits the taxpayer - especially after reading who is eligible for consideration and the new terms.
I finally had time to read this lengthy policy. Too many loop holes, especially under "Recapture of IDA Incentives" section". Last line: "The HIDA recognizes that business(s) are not guaranteed to be successful and economical circumstances may also prevent applicants from achieving their employment goals."
IDA Policy always comes back to one thing: NO ACCOUNTABILITY
The answer is extremely simple:One question in my mind is; why would a developer need an IDA? I am sure developers will stay in Lancaster without an IDA, right? I guess there is something to say for political connections.
Without tax abatement, most employers can make a lot more money moving elsewhere.
States like NC are, literally, giving manufacturers free buildings. And, here, we complain when they get a tax break.
A WIN/WIN is needed with IDA's...
If we are trying to coax a business from another state (not from Erie County as is sometimes the case) then I agree. There are too many cases whereas IDA's should not be approved.
I hate to bring this up again but Lancaster Airport should NOT be entitled to IDA breaks. I am still waiting for someone to tell me how IDA's enjoyed by airport benefit Lancaster. Do you really believe they would shut down operations if we did not give them IDA's? I doubt it. As a matter of fact, I wish they would but that is another topic. All IDA's do in this case is take business away from other NY air strips and airports because of low hanger rates. I have a copy of airport IDA application. Under reason for IDA request, they actually state they need IDA's to keep hanger rental fees low. Isn't it pathetic enough airport already receives state & federal funds without draining even more from taxpayers in the form of IDA's?
Exactly! The Buffalo News article on the reform policy had Amherst Supervisor Mohan state the same, namely, a weak/ineffectve recapture policy.I finally had time to read this lengthy policy. Too many loop holes, especially under "Recapture of IDA Incentives" section". Last line: "The HIDA recognizes that business(s) are not guaranteed to be successful and economical circumstances may also prevent applicants from achieving their employment goals."
IDA Policy always comes back to one thing: NO ACCOUNTABILITY
There are IDA's that serve the interests of the community and then there are IDA's that serve the best interests of politicos and special interest groups.
The "new" IDA recapture policy reads:
X. Recapture of IDA Incentives
In the event that an IDA shall determine (i) that a project beneficiary has submitted an application, or documentation in support of an application, which contained a false or intentionally misleading statement as to any fact which is material to the project applicant's application for benefits or which omitted any information which, if included, would have rendered any information in the application or supporting documentation false or misleading in any material respect, and (ii) that such false or misleading statement or omission was made knowingly and intentionally for the purpose of obtaining financial assistance, then the project beneficiary shall forfeit any future tax exemptions or abatements and shall be required to pay to the appropriate taxing authority the amount of any real property, mortgage or sales tax abatements or exemptions received. The amount of benefits recaptured shall be: (i) for real property taxes, the difference between the amount of payment in lieu of taxes paid and the amount that would have been paid in real estate taxes if the IDA did not have an interest in the project; (ii) for sales taxes, the value of the sales tax exemption received and (iii) for the mortgage tax, the value of any mortgage recording tax for which an exemption was granted. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained above the failure of an applicant to meet any specific employment numbers set forth in the application or documentation supporting the application shall not be deemed to false or misleading in any material respect. The HIDA recognizes that businesses are not guaranteed to be successful and economic circumstances may also prevent applicants from achieving their employment goals.
Fraud is the word being bandied about. Supervisor recently asked a resident who objected to the three IDA's granted to the Lancaster Airport whether he was against IDA's. The resident implied no such thing. He simply wanted assurances that the IDA system in place was in the best interest of the community and not th recipient(s).
The amount of tax money we residential taxpayers are subsidizing is pretty astronomical.
Georgia L Schlager
does this make sense? Is this about 200 million dollars?
That's project amount, not taxes abated.
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