Funding, Staffing Issues for Putnam's Economic Development

Putnam County’s Industrial Development Agency has asked county lawmakers to give it the money allotted for 2015 to the Economic Development Corporation, according to The Examiner.

The chairman of the IDA, which is charged with recruiting businesses to Putnam county with tax incentives, told the legislative Economic Development Committee Wednesday that ”the EDC ’hasn’t done anything this year regarding anything’ and that he has ’been doing much of their work’ along with the rest of the IDA board,” The Examiner reported.

But the IDA only has $386, and Richard Ruchala said there are urgent needs including mandates from New York State and the need to hire a CEO and other staff that require an infusion of at least $40,000 for this year alone.

Issues that sparked tension at the meeting included questions of paying for someone to run the EDC; the structure of a contract between the county and the IDA; and sharing services and responsibilities for economic development in the county.

Read the entire story on The Examiner website here.