Those were the days, my friend
We thought they’d never end
We’d sing and dance forever and a day
We’d live the life we choose
We’d fight and never lose
For we were young and sure to have our way
La la la la la la
La la la la la la

Too long in the making, but here it is: Accord roller rink co-owned by Ulster County Legislature Chairwoman Terry Bernardo losing tax breaks. From the Freeman article:

Two Ulster County businesses, including one owned by county Legislature Chairwoman Terry Bernardo and her husband, will lose their property tax breaks for failing to agree to a voluntary reduction of those breaks…

Skate Time 209 is just one of the businesses targeted by the IDA for failing to create the number of jobs they promised in return for tax breaks. And this is just one of the instances when Len Bernardo is caught lying:

On March 13, Len Bernardo said he had received the agreement only a week earlier and needed more time to review it. However, when asked Thursday about his decision not to sign the voluntary agreement, he said: “We didn’t sign anything. We haven’t seen anything.”

On top of Skate Time 209 failing to meet the job predictions detailed in its application, the Bernardos also has failed to provide job data for 2012. The Industrial Development Agency chair David O’Halloran said the Bernardos provided incomplete information after two requests were sent via certified mail. “If the Bernardos don’t provide that information,” he said, “the PILOT will be terminated even if they do agree to the voluntary reduction.”

Got that? “If the Bernardos don’t provide that information the PILOT will be terminated.”
Len and Terry Bernardo could not agree to any deal contingent on providing job data for 2012. Or for any year for that matter. For a simple reason: there is no data because there were no jobs. The picture above features about 75% of the jobs created by Bernardos.

– Jon Dogar-Marinesco