The Barclays of Oswego County, a family that includes a former and current state lawmaker, recently won $883,500 in aid from New York state for their plan to build a combination tourist destination and fishing rod plant on the Salmon River.
Then they did what almost no one does: They turned it down.
Assemblyman Will Barclay, R-Pulaski, said he wants to avoid a potential conflict of interest because he owns a stake in the company, Douglas Outdoors.
New York’s Salmon River on a cold morning. Photo: Ron Shawley via Wikimedia Commons
He said his brother, David, president of Douglas Outdoors, handled the application for state aid, seeking some of the $755 million the state awarded in December to regional economic development councils.
“It was one of those things, frankly, that I didn’t pay attention to,” Will Barclay said.
He said he asked his brother to turn down the grant for $683,500 and Excelsior Jobs Program tax credits for $200,000 as soon as he heard about the state’s decision.
