Legislator Drucker: Amazon’s Repayment Of $2.5M In Incentives A Victory For Nassau Taxpayers

On Thursday, Dec. 29, 2022, the Nassau County Industrial Development Agency (IDA) confirmed that Amazon has repaid nearly $2.5 million in tax breaks “because it cannot fulfill a promise to create 150 new jobs within three years at a recently-opened Syosset warehouse,” Newsday reported.
In August 2022, the IDA voted to rescind a Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) that was previously awarded to Amazon for its last-mile warehouse project at Syosset Park located at 305 Robbins Lane in Syosset, and to begin clawing back any taxpayer-funded incentives that have already been provided. The claw-back followed Amazon’s announced plans to undercut its agreed-upon commitment to creating 150 new jobs in Syosset by closing its Bethpage facility and moving those workers to Syosset.
Following this latest news, Nassau County Legislator Arnold W. Drucker issued the following statement:
“Amazon’s repayment of nearly $2.5 million is a victory for Nassau County taxpayers and a triumph for integrity and common sense,” Legislator Drucker said. “Nassau residents should never have been asked to pick up any part of Amazon’s bill in the first place. Their brazen end-run around a commitment to creating 150 new jobs in Syosset was an outrage and a broken promise that simply could not be tolerated. Amazon’s disregard for our community further reinforced my long-held belief that it did not need or deserve Nassau taxpayer assistance.”
“Through its actions, the Nassau County IDA has sent a clear message that businesses – no matter how large – will be held accountable for their commitments to Nassau taxpayers.”
— Submitted by the Office of Legislator Arnold W. Drucker