Tagged: economic development

Four major hospitals; three large colleges; dozens of churches, charities and government buildings.

They drive Syracuse's economic and cultural activity. But leave the city's bank account hurting for revenue.

In all, Syracuse nonprofits and other tax-exempt properties make up 56 percent of the city. That's land City Hall can't collect taxes on.

Add to that properties with temporary tax breaks given to encourage development.

Add to that more than 3,000 smaller plots throughout the city that are vacant or delinquent on their taxes.

"This is characteristic of the type of problem the city has in collecting property taxes," says Common Councilor Khalid Bey, chair of the council's economic development committee.

This week the Cuomo administration kicked off a series of workshops across the state. The goal is help New Yorkers start and grow their own small businesses.

Several hundred current and aspiring small business owners came to the first two workshops in Utica and Schenectady.

They got advice from half-a-dozen state agencies about the technical side of running a business - things like how to hire employees, secure insurance and maintain proper accounting practices.

Public authorities are set up to serve the public good in some way.

But 13 local public authorities across New York have been censured by an oversight agency for repeatedly failing to comply with state law.

The Authorities Budget Office (ABO) says the 13 authorities have failed to turn over public records, like financial statements, for months.

Kodak's Eastman Business Park (EBP) welcomed its newest tenant Friday. But the park's director says Kodak's bankruptcy is giving pause to some prospective projects.

"I will be honest, some of the very big ones - the $200-, $300 million projects - they've slowed down a bit as they try and determine what perhaps Chapter 11 might mean," EBP Director Mike Alt said Friday. "But most of the other projects are moving forward."

That $300 million project - a biofuel plant headed by the U.S. Renewables Group - is the centerpiece of the Finger Lakes Regional Economic Development Council's strategic plan.

The Finger Lakes Regional Economic Development Council held its first meeting of 2012 Wednesday. It was the council's first public session since disappointing funding results were announced last December.

Details of the second round of regional council funding are still fuzzy.

But if one thing was for sure, it was this: Council members were not admitting defeat.

"First, we were winners," insisted council co-chair and University of Rochester president Joel Seligman.