Skoufis and Assembly Colleagues Announce Extension of OC IDA Monitor’s Term and Expansion of Oversight

Pictured right to left: Senator James Skoufis (D-Orange County), Assemblymember Chris Eachus, (D-New Windsor) Assemblyman Jonathan Jacobson (D-Newburgh)

On Saturday May 22 - Senator James Skoufis (D-Orange County) alongside Assemblymembers Jonathan Jacobson (D-Newburgh), Chris Eachus (D-New Windsor), and Paula Kay (D-Rock Hill (not shown), announced a three year extension of the Orange County IDA monitor’s term, as well as an expansion of the oversight and authority necessary to protect the interests of Orange County taxpayers. 

In 2023, Senator Skoufis announced the creation of the monitor as a position within the Inspector General’s office to provide enhanced oversight of the Orange County Industrial Development Agency (OC IDA). The monitor was empowered to overrule the agency’s tax break packages if they ran afoul of taxpayer interests and police the IDA to ensure all laws were properly adhered to. The provision dictated the monitor be paid for by the OC IDA at no expense to the taxpayers. 

Since his appointment in March 2025, the state-appointed monitor identified and resolved dozens of operational deficiencies, revealed many beneficiaries of tax breaks have not lived up to their job creation commitments, and has served as a deterrent to countless applications that, absent the monitor’s presence, would have sought and received unwarranted tax breaks.

Notably, the state monitor vetoed a tax break for over $80 million that an Amazon mega-warehouse in Orange County was seeking – and the OC IDA attempted to approve – citing secrecy in the deal and an unwillingness by Amazon and the OC IDA to discuss alleged competing sites with the monitor. Refusing to accept the rule of law, the OC IDA proceeded to frivolously sue the monitor, litigation that is pending in state supreme court.

Over the past year in particular, the OC IDA has taken to stonewalling the state monitor: kicking him out of executive sessions, refusing to respond to emails, delaying legally-required supplying of meeting documents, refusing to pay his bills – all in clear violation of state law. The behavior of numerous board members has also been particularly offensive and unbecoming of the agency’s officers – they have frequently verbally assaulted the monitor with demeaning remarks, slurs, and attacks on his integrity. The monitor, Brian Sanvidge, has devoted over 30 years of his professional life to forensic accounting, compliance, and government investigations; he is an extremely well-respected professional who brings the highest level of ethical standards to his work at the OC IDA.

“For years the IDA operated like the Wild West, with no accountability to the taxpayers or the communities they purport to serve,” said Senator Skoufis. “Again and again, the IDA has put corporate interests ahead of taxpayers, schools, and communities. The monitor we fought so hard to put in place has served as a critical line of defense for taxpayers against the IDA’s rogue, reckless behavior. I’m grateful for the support of my Assembly partners in renewing the monitor’s term and keeping him right where he belongs: watching the IDA’s every move.”

"IDAs are supposed to strengthen local economies with tax breaks designed to attract and build businesses with permanent jobs. If municipalities and their school districts are getting less tax revenue, then the economic benefits from these tax breaks must be real. There have been too many unkept promises. We must ensure that these tax breaks are producing the permanent jobs as promised. If not, the IDA should claw back these benefits and make our municipalities and school districts whole. Extending the monitor’s tenure is a clear signal that we in the State Legislature take taxpayers' money seriously and believe in accountability,” said Assemblymember Jacobson. 

The Taxpayers have asked, and we have once again delivered,” said Assemblymember Eachus. “For far too long the people of Orange County have had to put up with closed door deals ripping away millions from our local governments, schools, and first responders. The monitor we brought in 3 years ago has brought stability and transparency to this process, and yet has only been met with egregious pushback from the IDA board members. That must mean that the monitor is doing an excellent job, and I am proud to say will continue to do so for at least another 3 years. I thank Senator Skoufis and Assemblymember Jacobson for spearheading this effort, and know that we will always fight for the good of the taxpayers.” 

Critically, Skoufis and his Assembly colleagues advanced a companion provision to the monitor language that ensures Orange County developers who pursue a separate, non-IDA property tax break referred to as 485-B must now meet labor standards and construction wage requirements. Previously, 485-B projects could pay as low as minimum wage to the men and women who worked on these construction projects.