New York State Assembly Committee on Corporations, Authorities and Commissions
Legislative Update

Sheldon Silver, Speaker • Richard Brodsky, Chair • Winter 2010
Assemlyman Richard Brodsky
Richard Brodsky

Chair, Committee on Corporations, Authorities and Commissions

LOB 621 Albany, NY 12248 518-455-5454
Message from the Chair...

For the past seven years, it has been my pleasure to serve as the Chairman of the Assembly Committee on Corporations, Authorities and Commissions. We have made great progress in reforming New York’s mass transit systems, corporations, public authorities, and the telecommunications industry, and I have no doubt that the Committee will continue its important work in 2011.

Since 2003, this Committee has focused primarily on bringing much-needed oversight and accountability to the state’s complex web of public authorities. This Committee served as the point of origin for legislation such as the Public Authorities Accountability Act of 2006 and the Public Authorities Reform Act of 2009, both of which provided the most critical reforms to state government in decades.

The Committee has led the charge for statewide reform by investigating institutions such as the MTA, the New York Yankees, the Empire State Development Corporation, the New York Independent Systems Operator, numerous utility companies and droves of other state authorities. In the past year we have seen the Public Authorities Reform Act of 2009 take effect, the passage of major MWBE reforms for all public authorities and led the charge to end the practice of under-the-table bonuses and abuses of taxpayer dollars by state authorities. There is much more work to be done and I am confident that the next Chair will continue the valuable process of reforming New York State’s authorities, corporations and telecoms. My thanks to Speaker Sheldon Silver, the members of the Committee, the members of the Assembly, and an outstanding staff for their confidence and trust.

Best wishes,
signature
Richard Brodsky

Public Authorities Reform Act (PARA) Goes Into Effect, Reforms Authorities’ Operations Forever

The historic Public Authorities Reform Act (PARA) took effect on Monday, March 1, 2010. This sweeping legislation, authored by Chairman Brodsky and co-sponsored by more than fifty other members of the Assembly, has brought long-needed reform and fundamental change to New York’s “Soviet-style bureaucracies,” improving the lives of all New Yorkers and the financial future of the state.

The PARA, signed into law in December of 2009, is the most sweeping governmental reform Albany has seen in decades. It builds on reforms included in the Public Authorities Accountability Act of 2005, also authored by Assemblyman Brodsky. This legislation is a fundamental, top-to-bottom reform of New York State’s public authorities, including the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the Thruway Authority, New York Power Authority, and the Empire State Development Corporation.

Members of public authority boards will now have an explicit
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fiduciary duty to the authority and their mission, no longer being beholden to those who appoint them. Board members’ sole responsibility will be to the authorities defined mission. This legislation also creates an independent Authorities Budget Office (ABO) with powers of investigation, referral, and oversight. The ABO will take the lead in ensuring that state authorities abide by all elements of the new law.

Among other reforms, the PARA requires state authorities to submit to the Comptroller all no-bid contracts costing over $1 million, to follow MWBE requirements, and to create a whistleblower program to protect those who report authority misconduct.

Assemblyman Brodsky stated, “This is the culmination of close to ten years of effort. I appreciate the long-standing commitment of the Majority Conference in the Assembly, Speaker Silver, my colleagues in the Senate, and Governor Paterson who signed the bill into law. At a time when the public is demanding real change, this is a reform that will benefit all New Yorkers and help them deal with the problems of daily life.”

Key Aspects of the Public Authorities Reform Act (PARA) of 2009

Creates The Authority Budget Office (ABO)

PARA 2009 Adds the Following Powers and Responsibilities to the ABO:
  1. Verify existence of all authorities in state law

  2. Issue recommendations on debt

  3. Comply or explain

  4. Warn and censure

  5. Receive and act upon complaints from the public

  6. Formal investigations in response to complaints

  7. Power to issue subpoenas

  8. Report criminal activities

  9. Develop and issue, after consultation with the Attorney General, a written acknowledgement that board members understand their fiduciary duty

  10. Develop best practices for screening proposed directors

  11. Promulgate rules and regulations

  12. Develop comprehensive definition of public authorities

  13. Review potential consolidation/renaming of authorities

  14. Standardize content and format of reports

  15. Recommend a compensation plan for board members

  16. Recommend changes in the terms of office of directors

  17. Enter into cooperative agreements

  18. Assess individual authorities and set date to make changes pursuant to this article

  19. Suspension or removal of directors

Board Governance and Fiduciary Duty

PARA 2009 Adds the Following Governance Provisions:
  1. Board members have an explicit fiduciary duty to the authority and not to the appointing entity

  2. Governance committee must: (i) examine ethical and conflict of interest issues; (ii) perform board self-evaluations; (iii) investigate term limits; and (iv) develop by-laws which include rules and procedures for conducting board business

  3. Audit Committee members must be familiar with corporate financial and accounting practices

  4. Finance Committee created

  5. Repeals existing law and permits a board member to serve as both the CEO and Chair, and prohibits the Chair of an authority who is also the CEO from participating in determining compensation for the CEO

  6. Breach of fiduciary duty would be cause for removal of a board member by the appointing entity

Contracts

Prior to publication of bids each authority must submit to the Comptroller contracts over $1 million. Comptroller must notify them that it wants to review contract within 45 days. Contracts must be approved within 90 days. If no action is taken it is automatically approved. All other contracts under $1 million are subject to review at the Comptrollers request.

Audits of Authorities

Audits must be performed as required by Sec. 2 of State Finance Law and requires the audit to be sent to the ABO.

Lobbying Contacts

Requires every member, officer, or employee to make a record of any lobbyist contact and the adoption of policies implementing these requirements.

Whistleblower

Requires a Whistleblower Access and Assistance Program in consultation with the Attorney General that (i) establishes toll-free phone lines available to employees and (ii) offers advice and consultation on state and federal laws. An authority may not fire, discharge, demote, suspend, threaten, harass, or discriminate against any employee for their whistleblower actions.

Committee Hearings and Investigations Shine Light on “Bonuses,” Promote Transparency

Following the passage of the PARA, the Committee has continued its oversight of the vast web of state and local authorities, ensuring that these independent bodies are doing the job intended and not wasting taxpayer dollars.

In the late spring there were reports of excessive compensation paid to the Executive Directors of the Fulton County Economic Development Corporation and its affiliate Crossroads Incubator Corporation (FCEDC/CIC). Lacking any understanding of fiduciary duty, board members knew nothing about the excessive compensation packages discovered. Following the Committee’s investigation FCEDC/CIC performed an internal review that resulted in the dismissal of the executive directors of both authorities.

The Committee has expanded its inquiry to all state and local authorities. In June, Chairman Brodsky issued a letter requesting information on such practices and has received many responses. Accounts of excessive compensation at the local level were exposed, with a particular focus on the Greene County IDA and numerous local authorities in Western NY. Chairman Brodsky has since introduced legislation to prohibit the payment of contingent compensation by state and local authorities.

“It has become clear that contingent compensation practices present a serious and tangible danger to public authorities because they open the door for the possibility of excessive compensation to public authorities’ employees and the abuse of public funds that authorities are entrusted to spend wisely and fairly,” Chairman Brodsky stated.

Private Local Development Corporations: The New “Shadow Government”

The Public Authorities Reform Act included a number of provisions that increased oversight over and limited the power of local authorities such as IDAs and LDCs. The actions of these organizations had always been shrouded in a veil of secrecy but they are slowly being revealed.

Contact the ABO

Interested parties may contact the Authorities Budget Office via:

E-Mail:
info@abo.state.ny.us

Phone:
(518) 474-1932
(Albany and Capital District)

1-800-560-1770
(For use outside the 518 area code only)

Mail:
State of New York
Authorities Budget Office
PO Box 2076
Albany, NY 12220-0076

At a recent hearing of the Committee, David Kidera, Director of the Authorities Budget Office, testified about a new local trend which has emerged following the enactment of PARA. Kidera reported that municipalities have been looking for a way to circumvent the restrictions on their ability to use IDAs and LDCs for certain government functions. He pointed to the creation of private LDCs, not subject to PARA, by local municipalities in order to undertake public tasks. As a comparison, only one authority has been created in the past legislative session while the ABO has counted 11 of these government-created private corporations since March.

The Committee was involved in its own investigation of these practices during the summer of 2010. The investigation focused on the Monroe County Security and Safety Systems LDC (M3SLDC) and its contracting with Navitech for the purposes of developing a new radio system for the county’s emergency responders. Monroe County appears to have created M3SLDC to avoid New York State’s procurement and bidding laws, privatizing what should be a public service. “Through contracting with a private company for the bidding process M3SLDC has sought to avoid the legal requirements under statute,” Chairman Brodsky stated.

Both Chairman Brodsky and the ABO support initiatives to close this costly loophole.

A list of LDC’s that Have Been Created Since PARA took effect:

Monroe Security & Safety System Local Development Corporation

Columbia County Capital Resource Corporation

Dutchess County Local Development Corporation

Town of Brookhaven Local Development Corporation

Ramapo Local Development Corporation

Jefferson County Local Development Corporation

Ontario County Local Development Corporation

St. Lawrence County Industrial Development Agency Civic Development Corporation

City of Albany Capital Resource Corporation

Franklin County Civic Development Corporation

Schenectady County Capital Resource Corporation




photo Congressman Michael McNulty and Chairman Brodsky on the Assembly floor.

Brodsky, Committee Investigate the NYISO

The Public Authorities Reform Act included a number of provisions that increased oversight over and limited the power of local authorities such as IDAs and LDCs. The actions of these organizations had always been shrouded in a veil of secrecy but they are slowly being revealed.

At a recent hearing of the Committee, David Kidera, Director of the Authorities Budget Office, testified about a new local trend which has emerged following the enactment of PARA. Kidera reported that municipalities have been looking for a way to circumvent the restrictions on their ability to use IDAs and LDCs for certain government functions. He pointed to the creation of private LDCs, not subject to PARA, by local municipalities in order to undertake public tasks. As a comparison, only one authority has been created in the past legislative session while the ABO has counted 11 of these government-created private corporations since March.

The Committee was involved in its own investigation of these practices during the summer of 2010. The investigation focused on the Monroe County Security and Safety Systems LDC (M3SLDC) and its contracting with Navitech for the purposes of developing a new radio system for the county’s emergency responders. Monroe County appears to have created

MWBE Reform Enacted into Law

M3SLDC to avoid New York State’s procurement and bidding laws, privatizing what should be a public service. “Through contracting with a private company for the bidding process M3SLDC has sought to avoid the legal requirements under statute,” Chairman Brodsky stated.

Both Chairman Brodsky and the ABO support initiatives to close this costly loophole.

Among the keystone accomplishments of the Assembly Committee on Corporations, Authorities and Commissions during the 2010 Legislative sessionwas the passage of a bill co-authored by Assemblyman Brodsky and introduced by Governor Paterson, aimed at leveling the economic playing field for minority and women-owned business enterprises (MWBEs), a cause that has been long championed by Brodsky. The bill passed both houses of the legislature overwhelmingly and was signed into law by the Governor on July 15.

This bill amends the public authority law to provide more opportunities for MWBEs by mandating that public authorities recognize and promote diversity in the workplace. It also rectifies earlier inconsistencies within the law that have led to discrimination in contracting by public authorities over the years. Every state authority must now abide by a strict set of guidelines that will invariably promote workplace equality for decades to come.

“Studies have shown over time that there is a real and tangible disparity when it comes to the issuance of contracts by public authorities to MWBEs,” Chairman Brodsky explained. “This landmark piece of legislation, in conjunction with the Public Authorities Reform Act of 2009, will finally put an end to MWBEs being shut out of the competitive bidding process, and mandate equality.”