By Nathan Mayberg
KIAMESHA LAKE — August 4, 2006 – The Town of Thompson Board on Tuesday rejected proposed tax breaks offered by the Sullivan County Industrial Development Agency (IDA) for Catskill Dermatology, which is seeking to relocate from its Broadway office in the Village of Monticello to a new building in Bridgeville.
It remains to be seen how the IDA will react when it meets Tuesday and ultimately holds a scheduled public hearing on the project August 15.
IDA Executive Director Jennifer Brylinski and CEO Allan Scott were surprised when they heard the news Wednesday of the board’s reaction to their proposal.
Brylinski said the board has always worked with the Town of Thompson and has sought to be accommodating. Brylinski said the IDA changed its own laws when the town announced its opposition to tax breaks for new retail businesses. In recent years, the town has attracted retail giants such as Wal Mart, Home Depot and Staples – all of whom pay their full share of taxes to the town, school and county.
At the town board’s meeting on Tuesday, Councilman William Rieber said he “resents” the actions by the IDA to push the tax breaks on the town. He called the breaks unwarranted and was joined in his opposition by Councilman Peter Briggs.
The new building in Bridgeville is estimated by Cellini to be assessed at $490,000. Scott said $7,000 in town, county and school taxes would be off the rolls, but the business would bring about new tax revenue for the town.
Supervisor Anthony Cellini wrote a letter to the IDA expressing his and the board’s opposition on Wednesday that he said would be sent over to them. He also announced his intention to attend the public hearing.
“Here is a viable business on Broadway,” he explained. “They are encouraging another business to move off Broadway by giving them tax benefits.”
The practice currently rents out its office space.
“Our taxpayers have suffered too long,” Cellini said on Wednesday. “We have the opportunity to grow our tax base, so why give the store away?”
In other town business, it was announced that a historical marker will be placed at the Smith Family Farm in Harris, which was once owned by the family of Monticello native and New York State Court of Appeals Chief Judge Judith Kaye.
The property, which is now owned by Hummel Bungalow Colony, was originally purchased in the 1930s by her father Ben, and his two brothers – Nathan and Velvel Smith.
The sign will be placed at the intersection of Maplewood Garden and Rapp Road, across from the colony. A ceremony will be held in the last week of August with Kaye, and possibly her brother Allen, who is now the vice president of Sony.