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Wallkill Valley Times, Wednesday, September 4, 2019
Skoufis launches investigation into
Medline’s requests for tax breaks
New York State Senator James Skoufis announced the launch of an investigation into Medline’s application for assistance
with the Town of Montgomery Industrials Development Agency in a press conference on Tuesday morning.
Continued from page 1
Wawayanda.
Medline negotiated a Payment-in-Lieu-of-Taxes
(PILOT) with the Orange County IDA for its facilities
in Wawayanda in 2008. The final year of the county and
town tax PILOT is 2019 and the final year of the school
PILOT is the 2018-19 school year.
“Now, as they’re about to start paying their full
property tax bill, they decided to pick up their stakes,
relocate and attempt to start a whole new set of tax
breaks,” Skoufis said. “This, my friends, is nothing short
of a scam.”
Skoufis referenced Medline’s profits with and without
a tax incentive, as outlined in Medline’s application for
assistance with the Montgomery IDA, as evidence of
corporate greed. In the first year, Medline is projected to
make approximately $76 million with tax incentives or
$74 million without tax incentives.
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“This isn’t a business in need of an incentive in order
to make their business model workable—this is a greedy
corporation seeking to milk Montgomery’s taxpayers for
all they’re worth in subsidies,” Skoufis said.
Skoufis has not contacted Medline because he said
his office did not see a need to. The first public records
requests were sent on Friday.
Chris Ludlow, Coordinator of Southern Region Three
for CSEA Local 1000, expressed his support for the
investigation. CSEA is a New York-based labor union.
“We’re never against creating private sector jobs,”
Ludlow said. “What we are against is taking advantage of
taxpayers. And what we have here is a perfect example of
a wealthy company, a successful company, trying to take
advantage of Town of Montgomery and Valley Central
School District taxpayers. We won’t stand for it; we back
Senator Skoufis.”
Town of Montgomery resident Cheri Zahakos called
on Medline to pay their full tax bill.
“Why should I or any resident of the Town of
Montgomery bear the burden of the corporation’s tax
breaks?” Zahakos said. “As a resident I am aghast to
witness the abuse of the Montgomery IDA using our tax
dollars to this end. Should Medline decide to go forward,
then they should pay the entire tax bill, as every citizen
is required to do.”
Skoufis ended with the line printed on his and many
attendees’ t-shirts, in reference to his remarks at a
packed public hearing for Medline on Aug. 13.
“Pay your damn taxes,” Skoufis said.
Calls to Medline for comment were not returned as of
Tuesday evening.
P olice B lotter
Town of Montgomery
Milford Jacobs, 36, was charged on Aug. 5 with
unlawful possession of marijuana.
Natasha Olga Blanc, 31, was charged on Aug.
11 with harassment 2nd, attempted assault 3rd
and menacing.
Steven Ortiz, 25, was charged on Aug. 18 with
aggravated unlicensed operation 3rd.
Joseph Ayed, 29, was charged on Aug. 14 with
aggravated unlicensed operation 2nd.
Alice Lubitz, 64, was charged on Aug. 20 with
making a terroristic threat.
Jeremiah Hochteil, 35, was charged on Aug. 21
with rape and predatory sexual assault of a child.
David Prieto, 22, was charged on Aug. 22 with
speed not reasonable and prudent and aggravated
unlicensed operation 2nd.
Daniel Colarieti, 28, was charged on Aug.
23 with an equipment violation and aggravated
unlicensed operation 3rd.
Jason Saffon, 24, was charged on Aug. 24
with aggravated unlicensed operation 3rd and
speeding.
Andre Almodovar, 40, was charged on Aug. 25
with criminal contempt 2nd.
Norman Levesque, 77, was charged on Aug. 26
with aggravated unlicensed operation 3rd.
Jeremiah Hochteil, 35, was charged on Aug. 28
with rape.
Alysha Perez, 30, was charged on Sept. 1 with
unlawful possession of marijuana, operating a
motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol,
ability impaired by drugs, refusal to take a breath
test, and aggravated unlicensed operation 3rd.
Town of Shawangunk
Anthony Pelliccia, 43, of Wallkill was arrested
on July 28 on an active Bench Warrant. Pelliccia
was arraigned in town court and was remanded
to the Ulster County Jail on $500.00 cash bail or
$1,000.00 bond to return to town court.
Daniel Nywening, 34, of Pine Bush was arrested
on July 31 for Aggravated Unlicensed Operator
3rd. Nywening was released to appear in town
court on Aug. 14.
Kayla Yeaman, 24, of Ellenville was arrested
on Aug. 3 on an active Bench Warrant. Kayla was
remanded to the Ulster County Jail on $1,000.00
cash bail or $2,000.00 bond to return to town court
on Sept.17.
Ryan Engelsen, 40, of Pine Bush was arrested
on Aug. 13 pursuant on an Active Arrest Warrant
for Petit Larceny. Engelsen was arraigned and
was released to appear in town court on Aug. 19.
Thomas Considine, 23, of Wallkill was arrested
on Aug. 22 for Aggravated Unlicensed Operator
3rd. Considine was released to appear in town
court on Sept. 9.