JAMESTOWN – Two members of the Chautauqua County Legislature are throwing their support behind the Mayor of Jamestown regarding his concern over tax breaks for a downtown property.
Jamestown Mayor Sam Teresi recently expressed his concern over a”tax deal” the Chautauqua County Industrial Development Agency approved for the new owners of Covenant Manor. Last week, the IDA unanimously approved granting a payment in lieu of taxes for a potential buyer of Covenant Manor – a privately owned, subsidized housing building. In response, the mayor was quoted in the Jamestown Post-Journal calling it corporate welfare at its worst.
In a media release sent out Monday afternoon, Chautauqua County Legislator Paula DeJoy (D-Jamestown) announced that the Democratic Caucus of the county legislature stands behind Teresi’s comments and his concern for the effectiveness of the IDA.
DeJoy also raised the point that over six months ago, she and her colleague Tom DeJoe (D-Brocton) sent a letter to the County Executive requesting a response to several questions about economic development efforts under his leadership. She said the questions and concerns she and DeJoe had expressed are consistent with those from Mayor Teresi. DeJoy added that so far, no reply has come from county executive Greg Edwards or County IDA Executive Director Bill Daly.
In an initial response to the request last May, Edwards told the media that all the information DeJoy and DeJoe have requested can be found on the county IDA website through reports that have been posted there. However, Minority Leader Lori Cornell (D-Jamestown) says lawmakers shouldn’t have to comb through piles of website materials and lengthy reports, adding that the onus is on the Administration to be accountable and answer the questions. Last week both Dejoy and DeJoe sent Edwards and Daly a follow up request, again seeking the information related to economic growth and job creation through the IDA.
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