Gary LaBarbera, president, Building & Construction Trades Council of Greater New York, is one of fifteen members that Gov. Andrew Cuomo named on May 3 to his recently created New York Works Task Force.
The task force, created under the governor’s 2012-13 budget to “change the way state agencies spend billions in taxpayer and commuter funds each year,” will have $750 million available under the Regional Economic Development Councils’ second round funding. The funding is aimed at supporting economic development, strategic plan implementation and job creation across the state. This round of funding consists of $220 million for regional strategic plans and support of priority projects and up to $530 million from state agency programs including Empire State Development, NYS Canal Corporation, and NYS Energy Research and Development Authority, to support regionally-specific economic development projects.