GOSHEN The Orange County Partnership is now subject to the reporting, disclosure, and governance requirements of the state’s Public Authorities Law, according to a decision made by the Appellate Division of the State Supreme Court. This makes the partnership a local authority.
According to the Partnership, it is a private, nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting local economic growth.
Moreover, even though it had won an earlier court case in its favor, the State Attorney General’s Office contested it before the State Supreme Court’s Appellate Division. In a ruling on April 10, the justices determined that the Partnership is within its local authority as defined by state law.
President of the Partnership Maureen Halahan expressed disappointment on Thursday, stating that the State of New York Authorities Budget Office has been attempting for years to increase its authority over public bodies outside of those covered by the Act.
The Partnership maintains its claim that it is not a governmental authority, she said. We are an Orange County-based private, non-profit organization dedicated to promoting economic growth.
She stated that in order to contest the most recent court decision, her organization will use all legal options.
According to Halahan, the Partnership will keep up its efforts to successfully and efficiently promote economic development in Orange County, New York, despite the ABO’s governmental overreach and measures that are intended to impede economic growth and job creation in our communities.
The Partnership is the most recent example of how the law is catching up with many of Orange County’s outlaws, according to state senator James Skoufis (D, Cornwall).
He accused it of operating for years under the pretense of being above the law and unaccountable to the public, claiming to be a private organization on the one hand and to be an arm of the county government on the other when it suited them.
According to the senator, the Orange County Partnership must now provide financial reports, hold open meetings, be transparent about their budget, abide by the Freedom of Information Law, and allow the state to audit their records.
Skoufis also cited the state-appointed monitor of the county’s Industrial Development Agency and the current FBI criminal investigation into the county’s information technology contract in addition to this court ruling.
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