Economic director wins high praise at hearing

KINGSTON, N.Y. » Nearly two dozen business and government leaders turned out for a public hearing this week to sing the praises of county Economic Development Director Suzanne Holt and urge lawmakers to maintain the status quo of the Office of Economic Development.

The hearing before the county Legislature was held to give the public the opportunity to speak on proposed local law that would move the office from the county Planning Department and make it a stand-alone county department.

Speaker after speaker urged lawmakers to leave the office as it is, saying, “If it’s not broke, don’t fix it.”

“We don’t need any more big government,” said Sylvester “Pete” Taliaferro, owner of Taliaferro

Farms in New Paltz.

Janet Irizarry, owner of JI Restaurant Consultants in Gardiner, praised the office for its responsiveness to businesses, a sentiment that was echoed repeatedly throughout the hearing.

“When I call, they are immediately responsive,” said town of Marlborough Supervisor Al Lanzetta. “They are quick to schedule meetings. They are willing to travel when and where

they’re needed.”

“In economic development, time is always of the essence,” said film producer Jonathan Burkhart. And Holt, he said, is always immediately responsive

Legislature Minority Leader Minority Leader Hector Rodriguez, who sponsored the resolution, said he was surprised at both the turnout, which he said was unusually large given the topic, and the comments that were made.

“I think it was great that we had so many people come out. I wish they had actually addressed the topic

of the resolution,” said Rodriguez, D-New Paltz. “All they talked about is how great [Holt] is and the agency is, but no one addressed the resolution.”

Rodriguez said the proposed change would elevate the office to department level and make Holt — whose office is in the county executive’s suite and is now answerable to Planning Department Director Dennis Doyle and the county executive — a department director, more accountable to the Legislature.

“This is not some grand change,” Rodriguez said.

“We already know that it functions like a department . ... It’s a department.”

Legislature Chairman Ken Ronk said he also was surprised at the turnout for the hearing.

Ronk, R-Wallkill, who supports leaving the office under the Planning Department, said: “I think it’s a disagreement over where the function belongs — whether it belongs in its own department or Planning. It’s my understanding planning and economic development have a lot of synergies, and that’s why it was placed under the Planning Department.”