Referred to: The Economic Development, Tourism, Housing, Planning and Transit

Committee (Chairman James Maloney and Legislators Archer, Delaune, Litts, Maio,

Rodriguez, and Woltman), and The Ways and Means Committee (Chairman

Gerentine and Legislators Archer, Bartels, Lopez, James Maloney, Joseph Maloney,

and Petit)

Legislator Joseph Maloney offers the following:

WHEREAS, chamber of commerce organizations are private networking

institutions made up of private businesses that formulate local societies that lobby

and network for the business community; and

WHEREAS, one can justify only Economic Development and Tourism using

taxpayer funds for membership fees; and

WHEREAS, there is little value in any other department within Ulster County

government purchasing chamber of commerce memberships with taxpayer funds;

and

WHEREAS, memberships to various chamber of commerce organizations

have been historically paid for by various County departments using County funds;

and

WHEREAS, limiting memberships to these organizations is in the best interest

of the Ulster County taxpayers; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, effective January 1, 2019, memberships to any chamber of

commerce organizations paid for with Ulster County funds shall be prohibited, with

the exception of the Department of Tourism and the Office of Economic

Development, where memberships to such organizations shall be allowable within

budget appropriations; and be it further

RESOLVED, the nothing shall preclude an Ulster County Elected Official

from paying membership fees to a Chamber of Commerce organization with his or

her personal funds,

and move its adoption.

ADOPTED BY THE FOLLOWING VOTE:

AYES: NOES: 

Defeated in Committee: Economic Development, Tourism, Housing, Planning and

Transit on March 6, 2018

Petition to Discharge not executed.

Passed Committee: Ways and Means on _____________.

FINANCIAL IMPACT:

$1,000.00- APPROXIMATE YEARLY SAVINGS IN COUNTY DOLLARS