Last night, the Dutchess County Legislature voted unanimously to require members of two additional boards to complete the county’s ethical and financial disclosure forms annually. I have been working on this change for five years.

In 2019, the legislature passed new ethics rules and disclosure requirements that included adding the members of four boards: the Dutchess County Labor Development Corporation (LDC), Dutchess County Industrial Development Agency (IDA), the Dutchess County Resource Recovery Agency (RRA) and the Dutchess County Water and Wastewater Authority (WWA). But in 2020, the Molinaro Administration removed the four boards from the list after complaints were lodged by Republican donors on the IDA and LDC who did not want to disclose their business ties.

Each year, I made the argument for adding the IDA & LDC back onto the list and finally, last year, with new leadership in the executive and legislative branches, the Republicans agreed to do that. The members of the IDA & LDC guide tax breaks to businesses who create new jobs or bring jobs to our county.

Last night, we added the final two boards to restore the list we originally agreed upon.

Transparency and oversight have always been a top priority for me in the legislature, and I am gratified to finally achieve this milestone.