Board vacancy gives GOP the chance to reshape the Suffolk County IDA

The Suffolk County Legislature’s new Republican majority will have the opportunity to begin to reshape the county’s Industrial Development Agency because of a soon-to-be-vacant seat on the agency board.

IDA board secretary Anthony Giordano said he will step down, effective Saturday, because of increased work responsibilities that require him to spend more time away from Long Island. He is an agent for Major League Baseball players.

Some GOP lawmakers in recent years have called on the IDA board to be more discerning in the awarding of tax breaks to businesses.

Legis. Robert Trotta (R-Fort Salonga) has criticized the incentive packages given to large corporations, such as Hartz Mountain Industries Inc. for warehouses in Melville, a 126-unit apartment complex in Selden now owned by Fairfield Properties and a warehouse in Westhampton Beach that is to be used by Amazon.

"You are screwing up Suffolk County by giving tax breaks to billionaires," Trotta said at this month's IDA board meeting before Giordano's resignation was announced. "It's obscene that this goes on."

Trotta concluded, "The day of reckoning comes Jan. 2" when Republicans are in charge of the legislature.

In November 2013, lawmakers appointed Giordano, of Commack, to the seven-member IDA board. Democrats then were in the majority and Giordano had run unsuccessfully for the State Assembly in 2004 on the Democrat and Working Families party lines.

"I feel like we’ve accomplished a lot" to strengthen Suffolk’s economy, he said this month. "This is the best nonpaying job I’ve ever had. The last eight years have been great."

The volunteer board consists of business, union and nonprofit leaders, all appointed by the legislature.

Giordano said his employer, North Star Sports Management Group LLC, was recently purchased and the new owner has asked him to stay on as director of baseball operations.

"I’m going to be traveling a lot," Giordano said. "To do the best thing [by the IDA], you have to be here all the time and I wouldn’t be able to be here as much."

IDA chair Natalie Wright, who also serves as Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone’s economic development chief, lauded Giordano’s service and led the round of applause given to him at the board meeting.

The other IDA officers are vice chair Kevin Harvey, retired business manager for Local 25 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers union, and treasurer Sondra Cochran, executive director for the Wyandanch Community Development Corp.

In addition, there are three board members: Brian Beedenbender, sales vice president for Teq education products in Huntington Station and a Democratic county legislator in 2008-09; Gregory T. Casamento, an attorney in Manhattan; and Joshua Slaughter, political director for Local 66 of the Laborers' union.

By James T. Madore

james.madore@newsday.comJamesTMadore

James T. Madore writes about Long Island business news including the economy, development, and the relationship between government and business. He previously served as Albany bureau chief.