A bill that I consider to be a good government bill has been signed into law. This law (A.3201B/S.5671B) applies to elected officials who appoint members of an Industrial Development Agency (IDA) and prohibits an appointing elected official from serving as a paid employee of the IDA.

There is an inherent conflict if an elected official can directly financially benefit from an appointment that they make. For example, if an elected official appoints an IDA board member and then the IDA board member then gives the elected official a paid position on the IDA, that would not sit well with most people. Even if not done in bad faith and even if there is no undue influence, the perception of a conflict of interest is apparent.

Public trust is paramount and how taxpayer dollars are spent is something that should be taken seriously. While this is a small change in the grand scheme of things, I believe that these measures create accountability and help avoid situations where someone can abuse their office. I thank Senator Neil Breslin for partnering with me on this legislation and Governor Kathy Hochul for signing it into law.