Vol. 37, No. 36 3 WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2019
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ONE DOLLAR
A cow with
a twitter
account? Visual
perspective
of music
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State probe
Skoufis launches investigation into
Medline’s requests for tax breaks
By LAURA FITZGERALD
[email protected]
New York State Senator James Skoufis
announced the launch of an investigation
into Medline’s efforts to secure tax breaks
at a press conference on Tuesday morning.
The investigation will be part of the
Senate Investigations Committee’s—which
Skoufis is chair of—broader investigation
into public authority and Industrial
Development Agency (IDA) practices.
“Our investigation will soon be sending
out document requests to Medline, the
Town of Montgomery IDA, the Orange
County Partnership, and every entity
Medline has engaged with on the tax break
issue,” Skoufis said. “Our investigation
will seek to identify Medline’s—and
others’—true rational for the proposed
Payment-in-Lieu-of-Taxes (PILOT), why
they abruptly abandoned the Orange
County IDA to pursue incentives from
the Montgomery IDA, and what, if any,
impropriety was committed during this
process.”
Medline requested approximately $17.6
million from the Town of Montgomery
IDA for real property tax exemptions over
a 15-year PILOT and $8 million in New
York State sales tax exemptions, according
to their application for assistance with
the IDA. Tax benefits will be granted or
denied only after the project receives final
planning board approval.
Skoufis said his investigation will
also look into Medline’s decision to
relocate just as their PILOT for their
facility in Wawayanda expires. Company
officials say Medline is relocating to the
proposed 1.3-million-square-foot facility in
Montgomery because they have overgrown
their current 500,000-square-foot facility in
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Quintessential public servant
Community mourns the death of Senator Bill Larkin
Photo provided
Senator Bill Larkin and his wife Patricia at the dedication of a pavilion at Walden’s Bradley Park.
Retired State Senator Bill Larkin,
whose distinguished political career
spanned nearly half a century, died
Saturday at the age of 91.
His death was announced Sunday
afternoon by his family.
“It is with a heavy but full heart that
we announce our beloved Bill Larkin
has passed away,” read a statement
released by former Aide Brian Maher.
“America and the State of New York
have lost a dedicated public servant,
soldier and statesman. Our family lost
a husband, father, grandfather, great-
grandfather and so much more. We
appreciate your thoughts, prayers and
best wishes. It is our hope that all of
the people whose lives Bill touched in
some way over the years will join us
in celebrating his life over the coming
days.”
Locally, flags were lowered to half
staff in his memory.
“Senator Larkin is an American
Continued on page 3
SERVING CRAWFORD, GARDINER, MAYBROOK, MONTGOMERY, PINE BUSH, SHAWANGUNK, WALDEN AND WALLKILL