CNY agencies among 36 eliminated in bill Cuomo signed

Gov. Andrew Cuomo has signed a bill that will eliminate 36 urban-renewal and industrial-development agencies (IDAs) that are inactive or no longer needed, including 10 in areas of Central New York.

The groups are either defunct, were never ultimately established by local law, or are no longer needed to carry out the public function for which they were formed, Cuomo’s office said in a news release distributed on Monday.

The affected agencies and authorities have no outstanding debt or other obligations. The law also transfers the eliminated entities’ remaining books, records, and rights to the municipality where each is located, according to the governor’s office.

The New York State Assembly’s local governments committee has made dissolving IDAs and other authorities that are no longer legally functioning one of its “priorities,” State Assemblyman William Magnarelli (D–Syracuse) said in the governor’s news release.

“This legislation builds on efforts we began two years ago to identify and dissolve these defunct IDAs,” said Magnarelli.

The governor’s news release included a list of the affected entities.

The legislation eliminates the IDAs in Big Flats in Chemung County; the village of Sidney in Delaware County; the town of Norwich in Chenango County; the town of Barton in Tioga County; village of Wayland in Steuben County; town of West Turin in Lewis County; and in the town of Pamelia in Jefferson County.

It also eliminates urban-renewal agencies in Johnson City in Broome County; Oneonta in Otsego County; and in the village of Riverside in Steuben County.

Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.co