TOWN WANTS REP NAMED (SCHENECTADY COUNTY, ROTTERDAM)
Posted on: 01/19/08 Ross Marvin, Spotlight Staff email: marvinr@spotlightnews.com
It’s been six months and counting since Rotterdam has had a representative on the Metroplex Board, but county officials say they are confident that an appointment will be made within the next month.
Rotterdam has been without a representative since last summer when Art Brassard left the position to take a job as Republican commissioner of elections for Schenectady County.
Town Attorney Gerard Parisi said that the Schenectady County Legislature is required by state law to appoint representatives for each of the municipalities within the county, Rotterdam included.
“Your board has taken no action to appoint Rotterdam’s representative,” said Parisi during public privilege of the floor at the last meeting of the County Legislature on Tuesday, Jan. 8. “This lengthy failure of your board to act in appointing a Rotterdam representative seems not only embarrassingly political, but it is also in clear violation of law.”
According to Rotterdam Supervisor Steven Tommasone, if the seat on the Metroplex Board continues to remain vacant for an extended period of time, the town will be forced to consider legal action.
Parisi said the vacant seat brings to mind a basic American ideal: that there should be no taxation without representation.
Like all municipalities in the county, Rotterdam contributes one half of one percent of its sales tax to Metroplex. Seventy percent of that money funds Metroplex and the remaining 30 percent is returned to the town.
The Metroplex Development Authority’s mission is to enhance the long-term economic vitality and quality of life in Schenectady County.
Chairwoman of the Schenectady County Legislature Susan E. Savage, D-Niskayuna, said there has been no intentional delay of the Rotterdam appointment. Instead, she said, the county is waiting to make all its Metroplex appointments at once. According to county officials, that means appointments have to be made in Glenville, Duanesburg and Rotterdam. Savage also said that all of the appointments would have happened sooner, but that the Legislature was consumed by end-of-the-year legislation. Savage also pointed to the recent death of her father, Chuck Savage, as a factor that has slowed these appointments.
Savage also said that the Legislature had reappointed Brassard, but he decided to vacate the seat to take a political job.
“Rotterdam has received the lion’s share of Metroplex assistance over the past four years,” said Savage. “The $107 million in assistance received by the town of Rotterdam is greater than any other municipality in the county.” Rotterdam also receives more than $1 million in sales tax revenues from Metroplex and has received $8.2 million directly since the inception of Metroplex in 1998.
For Tommasone, the town’s problem isn’t with Metroplex.
“This is purely a political move by the county Legislature to keep Rotterdam off the board,” said Tommasone. “We are the largest town in the county, and we have a Republican majority and the chair of the Legislature does not like that. The bottom line is that the county Legislature is utilizing their hold of the Metroplex Board against the town.”
Tommasone said that in the past six months, he’s been impressed with the work of Ray Gillen, chairman of Metroplex. He said Gillen has been a fine communicator.
“I have nothing negative to say about Metroplex,” said Tommasone. “The staff over there is excellent.”
Still, Tommasone said that he is worried that without someone representing Rotterdam’s interests on the Metroplex Board, information and economic development opportunities may fall through the cracks.
Town officials said that since Brassard left the seat, there have been incidents where Metroplex or county officials negotiated with businesses located in Rotterdam.
The most notable of these negotiations was with the Golub Corporation, who recently announced it will be moving its corporate offices out of the town of Rotterdam and into the city of Schenectady.
“The Golub family has done tremendous things for Rotterdam, and we will continue to benefit from their presence in the town, but we want to be partners with the things that are happening in Schenectady County,” said Tommasone.
Tommasone also said the legislature should appoint Town Attorney Pat Saccocio, who was recommended by the town more than six months ago. Tommasone said Saccocio “knows what’s going on in Rotterdam” and that the town board “trusts him implicitly” because of his experience and background. Saccocio is also a law partner of Parisi in the Schenectady firm of Parisi, Coan, & Saccocio.
Savage said that Saccocio was interviewed and is still considered a candidate for the Metroplex Board.
While Rotterdam is still without a Metroplex Board member, new County Legislator Angelo Santabarbara, R-Rotterdam, said that ensuring an appointment in the near future will be his primary task.
“There is no questions on Pat Sacoccio’s qualifications,” said Santabarbara.
“The people of Rotterdam deserve to be represented on Metroplex.”
Chairwoman of the Schenectady County Legislature Susan E. Savage, D-Niskayuna, said there has been no intentional delay of the Rotterdam appointment. Instead, she said, the county is waiting to make all its Metroplex appointments at once. According to county officials, that means appointments have to be made in Glenville, Duanesburg and Rotterdam. Savage also said that all of the appointments would have happened sooner, but that the Legislature was consumed by end-of-the-year legislation. Savage also pointed to the recent death of her father, Chuck Savage, as a factor that has slowed these appointments.
Savage also said that the Legislature had reappointed Brassard, but he decided to vacate the seat to take a political job.
“Rotterdam has received the lion’s share of Metroplex assistance over the past four years,” said Savage. “The $107 million in assistance received by the town of Rotterdam is greater than any other municipality in the county.” Rotterdam also receives more than $1 million in sales tax revenues from Metroplex and has received $8.2 million directly since the inception of Metroplex in 1998.
This is just smoke in our faces---be careful what the trade-off is---we may be 'forced' to pick up the city's garbage(ie:Another World, strip club etc)
pay attention to the money trail and the greed there-of......ALL THE POWERS EAT AT THE SAME TROUGH......oink oink boys and girls......
...you are a product of your environment, your environment is a product of your priorities, your priorities are a product of you......
The replacement of morality and conscience with law produces a deadly paradox.
STOP BEING GOOD DEMOCRATS---STOP BEING GOOD REPUBLICANS--START BEING GOOD AMERICANS
“This is purely a political move by the county Legislature to keep Rotterdam off the board,” said Tommasone. “We are the largest town in the county, and we have a Republican majority and the chair of the Legislature does not like that. The bottom line is that the county Legislature is utilizing their hold of the Metroplex Board against the town.”
BINGO!!! And this is why we should all attend the County Legislature meetings and tell good ole' Suzie just what we think. When is the next meeting?
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
February Meeting Committee Monday, February 4 7:00PM Legislature Wednesday, February 13 7:00PM
The Legislature is the full board meeting where the public has a chance to speak. 2/13 is also a Rotterdam Town Board meeting. Must mean that Suzie is trying to hide something from the Rotterdam residents who MIGHT show up. Rotterdam's town board meetings are ALWAYS on Wednesdays.
The County meetings seem to change whenever Ms. Savage or one of the other Dems have something to bring up right away or hide. They're usually scheduled for Tuesdays.
Well then, I think that we should have our Rotterdam town meeting at the county building. Or if I was Mr. Tomasone, I would change the town meetings as to no conflict with the county meetings.....just for spite!! And I think that the entire town board should also attend the county meetings. Cause they sure as heck don't listen to our representatives anyway. I wonder how Mr. Silva would feel about that? That would certainly be a litmus test wouldn't it? Let's see if Mr. Silva will stand before Suzie the dictator and share his dissatisfaction with their partisan leadership!
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
Posted on: 10/10/07 Written by: Jessica Harding, Schenectady County Reporter email: hardingj@spotlightnews.com
After the city of Schenectady, Rotterdam has benefited the most from the work of the Metroplex Development Authority and, according to chairman Ray Gillen, more projects are still to come.
Through Metroplex’s efforts, Rotterdam has seen $119 million in new investment from projects like Railex, Fedex and Price Chopper’s new freezer warehouse.
Gillen presented the state of economic development in each of Schenectady County’s five towns at the county Legislature’s committee meeting Monday, Oct. 1.
Each month, Gillen presents an update to the Legislature about the state of economic development efforts in the area. After residents spoke about their displeasure with Metroplex at the last county Legislature meeting, Gillen decided to dispel the myth that it only works in the city and presented the projects that Metroplex is working on and has completed in the towns.
A small portion of county taxes, one half of one percent, goes to the Metroplex Development Authority each year. In turn Metroplex uses those revenues to generate commercial growth in order to expand the county’s property tax base, sales tax revenues and create jobs.
Rotterdam Supervisor Steven Tommasone said he is committed to using a portion of the $1 million the town received this year from Metroplex for economic development, including building infrastructure.
“Our administration, in my view, has been the first to carry through on utilizing those funds for planning and economic development,” he said. Gillen said some town residents don’t notice Metroplex’s presence because its work isn’t as obvious as the city’s revitalization efforts.
“People think we aren’t working in the towns because we are focused on smart growth,” Gillen said. “We work in commercial areas and try not to affect the residential areas.”
In addition to generating local growth and expanding the local tax base, Metroplex gives a portion of its revenues directly to the towns each year. Metroplex gives 30 percent of the money it collects from sales taxes directly to the towns. Since its inception Metroplex has given 24.17 million to the towns. This year alone it gave a record $3 million.
Metroplex is currently working on a variety of projects that will expand the tax base in Schenectady County’s towns.
Gillen said most of Rotterdam’s growth is happening in the Rotterdam Commerce Park, formerly the Industrial Park. Metroplex is working to renovate some of the old warehouses, fill them with tenants and put state-owned buildings back on the tax rolls.
Gillen said his team is also actively looking to fill the space left when VStream left the Opus Technology Park.
“In my opinion this is the nicest manufacturing space in the entire Capital Region,” he said.
Gillen said Metroplex is hoping to get a developer interested in the former farm at the intersection of Interstates 88 and 90. He said a truck stop would not be the ideal development for that area and is instead hoping for a mixed-use development.
Metroplex is also planning on sharing costs with the town to upgrade the sewer treatment facility to allow for a private developer to build a sewer line down Route 7 and is helping the Hamburg Street Merchants Association.
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
Good thing he's jumping on all these "opportunities," besides worrying about taking care of things happening in Schenectady, like the club owner who pulled out since the article was written. Come on, Ray, tell us what else Suzie Savage and her Metroplex Sidekick, Vince DiCerbo have for you to throw at us.
The project of putting in sewers along rte 7 and I90 as well as helping the Hamburg St area with their issues is moving right along at the lightning speed of government. They formed the committee on Hamburg St but they still have to do 3 to 4 studies and there has been no committee formed yet for the rte 7 I90 corridor as of yet. They're still at least 5 to 10 years away from any action on these projects. Just ask the residents of Masullo how fast government moves.
I posted this on the Rt7 thread on Sept. 20th, 2007:
Quoted Text
I just received an email from WINMORRISON REALTY confirming the sale of Mr. Crounse's farm and Mr. Collier's house to the Flying J Company. (located at the I88 entrance)
On Oct. 10th 2007, this was printed in the Spotlight News from Mr.Ray Gillen, Metroplex Chair:
Quoted Text
Gillen said Metroplex is hoping to get a developer interested in the former farm at the intersection of Interstates 88 and 90. He said a truck stop would not be the ideal development for that area and is instead hoping for a mixed-use development.
So from what I am reading, Mr. Ray Gillen had no idea that a "Truck Shop" had already purchased the land. My concern: who makes that final decision on what can and can't develop on that area? Mr. Ray Gillen or the Rotterdam town board? And I would also like to know if Mr. Ray Gillen has appropriated the funding to upgrade the sewage treatment facility as he stated in this article.
Through Metroplex’s efforts, Rotterdam has seen $119 million in new investment from projects like Railex, Fedex and Price Chopper’s new freezer warehouse.
Hmm...
Neil Golub is on the Board of Directors of the Schenectady Metroplex Development Authority. What role did Metroplex play in the Price Chopper Freezer Warehouse project?
During the 2008 annual review of the Metroplex, Mr. Gillen took credit for the Price Chopper Freezer Warehouse and for the planned relocation of Golub corporate headquarters from Rotterdam to College Square in Schenectady. What is the Metroplex involvement in these two projects?.
Are/were either of these projects funded (in part) with public revenues distibuted by the Metroplex? I can find no details on the Metroplex web site.
Did the Metroplex, on which Mr. Golub is a member of the Board, provide funding for this project?
The title of this thread is hypocritical. Metroplex is working to relocate jobs from the Town of Rotterdam to the City of Schenectady (e.g., Golub Corporate Headquarters, Villa Italia, etc.)
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