Resorts World Catskills Bond Deal Raises Questions About Transparency in Sullivan County

Times Union reporter Genevieve Hartnett joined Radio Catskill to discuss her reporting on the casino bailout, the role of the Sullivan County IDA and why critics say key decisions happened out of public view.

A proposed bond deal meant to support Resorts World Catskills may be faltering, but questions about how the deal moved through Sullivan County are still very much alive.

Times Union Hudson Valley reporter Genevieve Hartnett joined Radio Catskill’s Local Edition to discuss her reporting on the proposed $585 million bond deal involving Resorts World Catskills, the Sullivan County Industrial Development Agency, and the Resorts and Facilities Local Development Corporation.

Hartnett, who previously worked as an intern at Radio Catskill, said she first began following the story after the bond deal was announced last year. At the time, many residents were trying to understand what the deal actually meant, whether taxpayers could be affected, and why public agencies were involved in a bailout of a casino that has struggled financially.

“There were a lot of people who felt very confused by it,” Hartnett said.

Part of the confusion came from the number of public bodies involved. According to Hartnett’s reporting, the Sullivan County IDA created the Resorts and Facilities Local Development Corporation, or LDC, to help handle the casino bond deal.

But as she continued reporting, Hartnett said the story became about more than Resorts World Catskills. It became a story about transparency, public authorities and how major economic development decisions are made.

Hartnett said many of the important financial and legal decisions tied to the deal were made during executive sessions — closed-door portions of public meetings allowed under New York’s Open Meetings Law only for specific reasons.

New York law allows public bodies to enter executive session after a majority vote for certain matters, including discussions about the financial history of a corporation or real estate negotiations where publicity could affect value. But Hartnett said critics argue those exemptions were stretched in this case.

“They feel that those definitions were being stretched as far as they possibly could,” Hartnett said.

She said each time the IDA or LDC returned to public session, larger decisions appeared to have been made, including legal appointments and payments, without contracts or detailed explanations being available to the public.

The Times Union reporting found that legal payments included $50,000 to IDA counsel Walter Garigliano without publicly released contracts detailing his role. Additional payments were also made to Blustein, Shapiro, Frank and Barone, the law firm of Garigliano’s wife, Barbara. By October, LDC financial statements showed $325,000 paid to Garigliano and $121,000 to the law firm.

Hartnett said the question is not only what happened in Sullivan County, but how common these practices are across New York.

A January 2026 report from the state Authorities Budget Office reviewed 397 sets of IDA meeting minutes from across the state and found that only 44 percent of motions to enter executive session complied with the Open Meetings Law. Improper justifications included vague references to legal matters, contracts, planning, sales and marketing strategies.

Hartnett also spoke with State Senator James Skoufis, who has focused on IDA reform following alleged corruption involving the Orange County Industrial Development Agency. Hartnett said Skoufis described a broader culture problem within IDAs.

His concern, she said, is that some agencies appear to act as if they work for the applicants seeking assistance, rather than the taxpayers they are supposed to serve.

Hartnett also spoke with Reinvent Albany, a watchdog organization that has called for state-level reforms to IDA laws. She said one concern raised in her reporting is the impact IDA decisions can have on schools, communities and public revenue.

For Sullivan County residents, Hartnett said one major takeaway is the importance of paying attention to local public meetings, even when the subject matter is complicated or technical.

Public comment periods do exist, she said, but many meetings are sparsely attended. In some cases, only one or two members of the public regularly show up.

Hartnett said that makes it easier for major decisions to move forward without broad public understanding.

“Getting involved in your local government is really important,” she said.

As for the Resorts World Catskills bond deal itself, Hartnett said the latest signs suggest it may not move forward.

Minutes from the LDC’s March 31 meeting indicate the bond has not closed and is likely to be abandoned. Resorts World Catskills is also expected to refinance $300 million in debt, while the LDC has until November 1 to make a final decision on the deal.

Still, Hartnett said the reporting raises a larger question for Sullivan County and communities across New York: when public agencies make decisions involving hundreds of millions of dollars, how much should happen behind closed doors?

Image: Resorts World Catskill Photo by Patricio Robayo