Glens Falls Chronicle Serving the Glens Falls/Lake George region; Warren, Washington and northern Saratoga counties since 1980
By Caroline Martindale, Chronicle Staff Writer
Great Meadow Correctional Facility in Fort Ann is the largest public or private sector employer in Washington County, and its closure on November 6 will heavily alter the county’s economy.
The county hired Caimon Associates, Economic Development Consultants to analyze and project its impact.
The report says the loss of 649 jobs at Great Meadow amounts to more than 4.5% of the Washington County employment base of 14,861 jobs.
The report notes that the State Corrections jobs are among the highest paid in Washington County — more than double jobs in the private sector.
It says the closing will ultimately cost 2,419 jobs as incomes are not spent in the area.
Stewart’s Shops anticipates a 3% revenue drop — $2,000 per week — at its stores in Argyle, Whitehall, Granville and Poultney, Vermont, the report says, amounting to $500,000 annually and a reduction per store of seven hours worked per week.
Overall potential loss of 2,419 jobs will reduce the county’s sales revenue by $197,136,606, said the report.
Caimon Associates calculates the lost sales tax revenue to be $587,373 if Great Meadow employees spend a third of their salaries outside Washington County.
Families of school age children who move away could disrupt class sizes and increase school taxes.
“Extraordinarily, Fort Ann could lose up to 9% of their students,” said the report, which projects 116 children could exit Whitehall, Granville, Hartford and Fort Ann.
“The school districts of both Whitehall and Granville could each lose just over 4% of their student populations, and Hartford 3%,” the report said.
It adds that social impacts include losses to local nonprofits, volunteer organizations, churches and social groups.
The economic impact report has been sent to Governor Hochul and other elected representatives.
The report measures by three key values: direct impact (immediate impact of jobs on the payroll), indirect impact (business to business spending) and induced impact (paychecks spent in the local area). It uses data from the Department of Corrections and the New York Department of Labor.
Copyright © 2024 Lone Oak Publishing Co., Inc. All Rights Reserved
