6 members appointed to new Hempstead IDA board

The Hempstead Town Board voted to appoint six members of a new Hempstead Industrial Development Agency this afternoon. The move comes after six of seven members resigned Monday in a shakeup over a

News 12 Staff

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Nov 16, 2016, 3:47 AM

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Updated 2,958 days ago

The Hempstead Town Board voted to appoint six members of a new Hempstead Industrial Development Agency this afternoon.

The move comes after six of seven members resigned Monday in a shakeup over a controversial mall tax break.

Some Valley Stream homeowners are now paying as much as $800 more a year in taxes and say the reason is because tax breaks are going to the Green Acres Mall.

As News 12 has reported, the tax breaks were approved by the Town of Hempstead Industrial Development Agency or IDA board.

The IDA approved the plan two years ago for the mall's $79 million expansion, which it says will create jobs and boost the economy.

However, Valley Stream officials say the breaks left residents to make up the difference.

The IDA board members are not paid and are not elected -- they are appointed by the Town of Hempstead board.

The one IDA board member who did not resign stayed on because she was not on the board when the deal was made.

It is not yet known if the new IDA board will do anything to repeal the decision to give the mall the tax breaks. It also not yet known if they will fire the IDA's board CEO Fred Parola.

Nassau Legislator Carrie Solages says they should do both. He added that he doesn't know where they stand on the issues.

"I find it highly questionable that the former board resigned, and within less than 24 hours, we have a new board. I know that none of them live in the Valley Stream area."