For months, Auburn Mayor Timothy Lattimore has continually harangued his nemesis on the city council, Auburn Industrial Development Authority chairman and city councilor David Dempsey, about what AIDA has been doing on the economic development front. The mayor has asked for reports and other information, as an excuse to delay not appointing new or re-appointing existing members to the nine person board. It is time for the mayor to stop his endless queries and recommend a slate of nominees.
With the exception of getting himself nominated and approved in January, the mayor has used the appointment process (terms of five members expired in December) as a way to continually stick and jab at Dempsey. Yet, while this may make for entertaining political theater #- it does not serve the city's interest.
There may be little question that part of the issue with Lattimore making appointments is that Dempsey's term is also up. Lattimore, who has been a critic of the authority under the Democratic councilor, may nominate someone else if he chooses to not go with Dempsey. No one would be surprised if he chose someone else. It would then be up to the city council, which includes a majority of Democrats, to either accept the mayor's slate, collectively or individually, or reject them. If Lattimore believes that Dempsey has not done a good job leading AIDA, and that may be the case, Lattimore can argue that prior to a vote on nominees and a new chairman, should he desire. If a majority of the council disagrees then that would be a clear message to the mayor.
While some of the slots on AIDA are set up by occupational specialty (the state Legislature determined, in the 1990s, that education must be represented #- school board member Virginia “Ginny” Kent is on one of the spots in limbo - and the original legislation included a representative of labor, now held by city employee and labor official Anthony DeCaro), there may be others the mayor, for personnel reasons, may not want to re-appoint.
While it is easy to criticize AIDA for its lack of projects of late #- there are two things to remember. First, much of the power of industrial authorities has been diluted by other recent economic development programs in New York, such as the Economic Development Zone credits.
As a former chairman of AIDA recently mentioned in a conversation, AIDA is only a tool in a tool box and the burden for projects is on the appointed and political leadership of the city to bring them such projects.
Lattimore continually rants about the city manager having too much power. In this case he has the power and responsibility to act and show his decision making ability.
Action is long overdue.
Cosentino is a former mayor of Auburn and can be e-mailed at cozguytho@aol.com
There may be little question that part of the issue with Lattimore making appointments is that Dempsey's term is also up. Lattimore, who has been a critic of the authority under the Democratic councilor, may nominate someone else if he chooses to not go with Dempsey. No one would be surprised if he chose someone else. It would then be up to the city council, which includes a majority of Democrats, to either accept the mayor's slate, collectively or individually, or reject them. If Lattimore believes that Dempsey has not done a good job leading AIDA, and that may be the case, Lattimore can argue that prior to a vote on nominees and a new chairman, should he desire. If a majority of the council disagrees then that would be a clear message to the mayor.
While some of the slots on AIDA are set up by occupational specialty (the state Legislature determined, in the 1990s, that education must be represented #- school board member Virginia “Ginny” Kent is on one of the spots in limbo - and the original legislation included a representative of labor, now held by city employee and labor official Anthony DeCaro), there may be others the mayor, for personnel reasons, may not want to re-appoint.
While it is easy to criticize AIDA for its lack of projects of late #- there are two things to remember. First, much of the power of industrial authorities has been diluted by other recent economic development programs in New York, such as the Economic Development Zone credits.
As a former chairman of AIDA recently mentioned in a conversation, AIDA is only a tool in a tool box and the burden for projects is on the appointed and political leadership of the city to bring them such projects.
Lattimore continually rants about the city manager having too much power. In this case he has the power and responsibility to act and show his decision making ability.
Action is long overdue.
Cosentino is a former mayor of Auburn and can be e-mailed at cozguytho@aol.com
