BUFFALO, N.Y. (WBEN) - State legislators will keep a close eye on Tesla's job numbers.
The company last month reportedly surpassed its required quota of 1,460 jobs by the April 1 deadline. However, many are still skeptical over the sudden spike in job numbers just weeks before the company would have paid a $41.2 million penalty if they didn't reach the quota.
"We need to keep an eye on it," Assemblyman Sean Ryan said. "At this time next year, they need to maintain the job numbers or face the threat of a penalty. We're keeping our fingers crossed that the solar roof product takes off across North America and all the roofs going on houses will be made in Buffalo."
Empire State Development said they will confirm the job numbers as legitimate numbers.
Tesla was built on hundreds of millions worth of tax dollars. It, once again, came under criticism in recent days because of $50 million in old solar manufacturing tools that are sitting in a warehouse in Wheatfield.
"Tesla is making significant contributions to Western New York's economy, and its growth at RiverBend mirrors the ongoing economic renaissance in Buffalo and throughout the region," an Empire State Development spokesperson said. "Tesla is paying for the relocation and storage of underutilized equipment as it ramps up its operations and introduces new production lines. We are seeking alternative uses for the equipment, including making it available to other high-tech businesses that are considering a move or expansion in New York, or selling to interested bidders."
Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz said deals should never been done behind the public eye and urged transparency.
"I support the project because of the 1,500 jobs that have been created but these are the kind of things that are wrong," Poloncarz said. "People look at that and say something bad happened and why was that equipment bought and sitting in a warehouse? I learned it by reading the news. It's not like somebody from the state called me...That's why it's important to have an open, frank discussion when you're giving benefits out."
According to Tesla's website, they hope to have 5,000 clean energy jobs in New York State over ten years.
