Assembly Representative George Latimer expects to act soon on a “home rule” request by the three Republican members of the City Council that would give the City Council final say in granting benefits to IDA applicants.
“My policy is to draft and submit any local bills requested, so after I touch base with [my colleagues here in Albany] I would expect we would do so again”, Latimer told Talk of the Sound in an email, referencing he controversial New Rochelle Armory home rule request made last month by Mayor Noam Bramson.
“I will send it to the Legislative Bill Drafting Commission and will send the draft they develop to the three Council members for their review. If the language is OK, we would submit it for a number, and then the City Council can schedule a meeting to discuss a home rule resolution.”
As Talk of the Sound reported yesterday, Richard St. Paul, Louis Trangucci and Albert Tarantino, the three Republican members of the New Rochelle City Council made a home rule request of New Rochelle’s four Albany lawmakers — State Senators Jeff Klein and Suzi Openheimer and State Assembly Representatives Amy Paulin and George Latimer — earlier this week.
The home rule request would allow the City of New Rochelle to have full power to approve the New Rochelle Industrial Development Agency (IDA) decisions as it relates to to IDA applicants. The request come in the wake of a Comptroller’s audit of the agency which found a complete lack of process and documentation for IDA decisions.
Can the Republicans Count 4-3
Actually I originally thought it a bad Idea for the City Council to approve all NRIDA pilots because I believe it should be truly a seperate entity from City Govenment without the Mayors ability to manipulate the results. Then I wondered can these guys count! I know Trangucci can count, pretty sure St. Paul can’t count and wonder if Tarantino is even alive he really does a great impersonation of a dish of yogurt at most council meetings.
Now I sort of think at least we get to see the vote and the public will get to see whom the PILOTS are given too over and over again. What the heck just disband the NRIDA instead of trying to clean it up as that not going to be possible and in the mean time lets just get the Council on the record for whom they are awarding these sweet deal too. This is actually a really good step, same result but at least we see the 4-3 vote go in the way of Cappelli vs having it all hidden downstains at the back of City hall. This is Brillant!