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local development corporations
Posted inNews & Opinion
Dinolfo asks LDC’s to dissolve
County Executive Cheryl Dinolfo has asked the two county-linked local development corporations at the center of a bid-rigging case to dissolve. Dinolfo sent letters to Upstate Telecommunications Corporation and the Monroe Security and Safety Systems LDC boards asking each to adopt a resolution pledging that they’ll “take all steps necessary to dissolve in an orderly […]
Posted inNews & Opinion
We remember Maggie Brooks
The good, the bad, and the ugly of Maggie Brooks’ 12 years as Monroe County executive
Posted inNews & Opinion
Elect a Democratic majority to the Lej
All 29 seats in the Monroe County Legislature are up for election this year, so no matter which party wins control of the chamber, we’re guaranteed at least a few fresh faces; many longtime legislators face term limits. The Legislature has major issues to tackle over the next few years. Of particular importance will be […]
Posted inNews & Opinion
This is a campaign?
So, the 2015 county executive race should be the political brawl of the decade. Term limits prevent Maggie Brooks, the star Republican who’s held the job for almost 12 years, from running for re-election, so the seat is wide open. And two experienced, well-known politicians want to take her place: County Clerk Cheryl Dinolfo, a […]
Posted inNews & Opinion
Legislature Dems ask for LDC abolition study
Legislature Democrats want the county to hire an outside legal firm to examine the implications of dissolving county-affiliated local development corporations, or even whether they can be dissolved in the first place. The county formed several LDC’s over the past decade-plus to handle certain functions; one owns and runs the Civic Center Parking Garage, for […]
Posted inNews & Opinion
The great LDC extinction
Cheryl Dinolfo’s pledge to eliminate local development corporations in Monroe County may be less a stand for integrity than a reflection of the fact that LDC’s just aren’t as useful to governments as they once were. Dinolfo, a Republican, announced her bid for county executive last month. She has been pegged as current county executive […]
Posted inNews & Opinion
LDC scandal may have a small silver lining
For the past six months, Monroe County has been handling some administrative work for two quasi-governmental local development corporations it created: Upstate Telecommunications Corporation and Monroe Safety and Security Systems. The county took over the duties from a subcontractor after four key players in the LDC’s were hit with criminal charges related to alleged bid-rigging. The […]
Posted inNews & Opinion
Grand jury re-indicts Robert Wiesner
A grand jury has again handed up a criminal charge against Robert Wiesner, the husband of Monroe County Executive Maggie Brooks. Today, Wiesner was arraigned on a single felony count of combination in restraint of trade and competition, which is legalese for bid-rigging; he pleaded not guilty. The indictment, which will be prosecuted by the […]
Posted inNews & Opinion
Wiesner case to head back to grand jury
Robert Wiesner faces one less felony criminal charge, but one more is up in the air for now. Wiesner is one of four defendants accused of participating in a bid-rigging scheme that involved county-connected local development corporations. He faced two felony charges as part of the case, which is being handled by the State Attorney […]
Posted inNews & Opinion
Dems’ proposal targets county LDC ‘revolving door’
County Legislature Democrats are proposing a law they say would prohibit county employees from working for local development corporations for two years after leaving their job. Revolving-door employment has long been an issue in federal and state government. The term often refers to government employees who leave for private sector jobs, which in turn have […]
Posted inNews & Opinion
Deal may avert detention center, Costco problem
Democrats in the Monroe County Legislature are re-evaluating their decision to block a big county borrowing measure. Details are fuzzy, but it looks like the measure may now have enough votes to pass. Democrats have held the legislation up since December in an attempt to get Republicans to support their plan to have the Legislature lead a review of local development corporations affiliated with the county.
