I’ve been highlighting the outcome of the COMIDA hearing with regards to Brighton Lodging LLC. We discussed the outcome here.

The City Newspaper (Jeremy Moule) had a lengthy article about IDAs and COMIDA. The thrust of article was COMIDA reform and if it is needed using the recent award to Brighton Lodging LLC. It was a balanced article presenting the players and positions on both sides of the argument.

Personally - I think the government’s role is to help those in the community grow and prosper - both businesses and individuals. I just think that there needs to be some oversight. Oversight keeps people honest.

Imagine if the folks in Brighton didn’t get involved in the Brighton Lodging LLC award.

Remember this is a retail hotel where Monroe County has a 40% occupancy rate. A hotel that was purchased in need of renovation - apparently significant renovation. A purchase that per one of the applicants said hinged on getting a COMIDA deal otherwise it didn’t make sense. It is a retail business that promises to create 1 job. Look at the tax exemptions that some other resident of Monroe County will have to pick up and ask yourself it is worth it?

Hell - exempt me from Property taxes and I’ll pay some kid in the neighborhood to cut my grass. I’ll create a job too.

From the city article on the award -

At the last minute, the board deleted the $166,000 property-tax exemption from Brighton Lodging’s benefits package, at County Executive Maggie Brooks’ request. But the company still received more than $180,000 in sales and mortgage-tax abatements.

2 things.

1. w/o intervention by the residents of Brighton through their elected leaders. Brighton Lodging would have gotten even more incentives to refurbish a hotel in a market that may not support it (40% occupancy rate).  This intervention drove the change.  It wasn’t out of the kindness of Maggie’s heart.  Brighton residents through their elected officials deserve the credit here.

2. I’ll have to rely on others for the next bit of info and will gladly retract it if necessary however, I believe Brighton Lodging was also awarded an additional 100K in Sales tax exemptions. See the COMIDA board can do that without a public hearing so I believe these numbers is only includes the funds that a public hearing was required.

I believe there is another 100K added to the 180K.

nevertheless - in the article

Tax incentives, says COMIDA board chair Robert Hurlbut, are essential in attracting and keeping businesses in the county. And, he notes, the Rochester region and all of New York no longer compete only with places like North Carolina. The competition is international - from China, for instance.

Listen to his justification for this award and tell me oversight isn’t needed. Incentives for one job. That doesn’t make sense.  We are taking about a hotel not a manufacturer.

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