Hoyt Cites IDA Audit, Calls for Changes BUFFALO (wned) - The Erie County Industrial Development Agency gives tax breaks to companies which promise to provide jobs.

When the time runs out on the breaks, the property is scheduled to go on the tax rolls.

Erie County Comptroller Mark Poloncarz says the best his auditors can figure out, there are mistakes on about 10 percent of the bills in the form of PILOT's (Payments in Lieu of Taxes).

Hundreds of thousands of dollars in bills were not sent out or were too high or were too low.

"Not until the end of the audit did the county identify there was a missing file cabinet," Poloncarz explained. "So, we were not 100 percent certain that we saw every PILOT as it pertained to the Erie County Industrial Development Agency."

The Comptroller doesn't have the power to audit the IDA's books, although it twice allowed former Comptroller Nancy Naples access to its records for an audit.

State Assemblyman Sam Hoyt says this audit shows the "arrogance" often displayed by IDA's.

That's why he's pushing legislation which calls for more transparency. The bill also has "a clawback provision" which goes into effect "if the IDA couldn't meet job creation goals."

The entire issue of controlling authorities, or even figuring out how many there are, has been a major fight in Albany.



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