NEW YORK STATE - New York's Industrial Development Agencies (IDAs) reported providing $751 million in net tax exemptions for local economic development efforts in 2017, up more than 5 percent from 2016, according to a report issued by State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli.

And as Sullivan County continued to be among the leaders in job growth and unemployment figures among upstate counties, it also ranks among the lowest in IDA expenses per job gained - spending only $116 per job - with an estimated 4,496 new jobs created in ‘17.

Those figures come from DiNapoli's report which shows Sullivan County IDA spent $521,442 on 66 projects - or $7,901 per project.

By comparison, Orange County had 50 projects in 2017 and their IDA spent $2.47 million - or $48,489 per project. Their spending per job gained was $1,015.

In Delaware County, where 11 IDA projects were handled in 2017, the expenses were $1.18 million - or $107,548 per project.

Delaware County's expenses per job gained was $6,799 for the 174 net jobs gained.

“The need for close scrutiny of economic development efforts has never been higher,” said DiNapoli. “My office releases IDA data so New Yorkers can examine if incentives given out to create and retain jobs in their communities are worth it.”

Through 2017, active IDA projects produced a net total of 198,522 jobs gained since their inception, with nearly two-thirds (2,912) of projects resulting in net jobs gained. Services, such as retail, health care and recreation, accounted for 50,435, or 25 percent, of the total net jobs gained, closely followed by manufacturing (21 percent), and finance, insurance and real estate (20 percent).

The annual report showed IDAs provided approximately $1.4 billion in total tax exemptions to 4,385 projects in 2017. These exemptions were partially offset by $642 million in payments in lieu of taxes (PILOTs). Both total exemptions and PILOTs increased, resulting in net exemptions of just over $750 million - $36 million (5.1 percent) over the prior year. In 2016, net tax exemptions were up $20 million, nearly 3 percent, from the previous year.

Sullivan County IDA

Region:

Mid-Hudson

County:

Sullivan

Project Count:

66

Total Project Values:

$1,559,753,141

Total Tax Excemptions:

$16,654,775

Total PILOTs:

$4,792,873

Net Tax Exemptions:

$11,861,903

Net Exemptions Per Project:

$179,726

Estimated Jobs

to be created:

5,454

Estimated Jobs

to be Retained:

440

Full-Time Equivalents

before IDA:

440

Current Full Time

Equivalents:

4,936

Estimated New Job Change:

4,496

Net Exemptions

Per Job Gained:

$2,638

IDA Expenses:

$521,442

Expenses Per Job Gained:

$116

Expenses Per Project:

$7,901