Comida Shapes Up
Published 2002
by Bob Whitman
When the troubled Global Crossing withdrew their application for tax relief, as they could no longer meet the conditions required on their application, the County of Monroe Industrial Development Agency (COMIDA) took a rare step and voted to rescind the Global Crossing tax abatement.
It is likely that the scrutiny and publicity that our COMIDA group and others have been giving them had something to do with it, as in the past COMIDA did not often rescind tax abatements no matter what the circumstances.
This is one case where we are happy to acknowledge their actions as appropriate.
COMIDA had approved tax breaks for Global if it completed a move to Perinton, in response to the threat by Global Crossing of a move to New Jersey.
COMIDA Chairman Joseph Rulison says that they were convinced, at the time, that a move to New Jersey was likely if local tax breaks weren't forthcoming.
It's not clear that any actual evidence was provided of the likihood of such a move, but given COMIDA's responsibility to keep and increase jobs in the area, it was likely doing what it was supposed to do.