Wayne County’s Industrial Development Agency generally provided the public with required information about its work, a state audit found, but omitted documents for two active projects and posted committee materials later than required.
Officials added the missing project records shortly after auditors asked about them. The Oct. 16 report from the state comptroller’s office characterized the public website issues as minor and recommended regular monitoring and updates.
The review covered Jan. 1, 2025, through June 12, 2026. Executive Director Brian Pincelli agreed with the findings and said the agency would detail corrections in a corrective action plan.
For residents, the disclosures provide a way to examine an agency that offers tax exemptions to businesses in exchange for investment and commitments to create or retain jobs.
Missing project records were posted
Auditors compared the website with state Authorities Budget Office guidance between May 20 and May 29, 2026. They found the agency generally complied with requirements for posting documents.
Their review included information for 39 projects, drawing on the agency’s 2025 reporting and later project activity.
Two active projects lacked required records. For one, Pincelli explained that the project predated the requirement for a project agreement and instead used an agency agreement.
Officials were unaware that the approval resolution for that project and the project agreement for a second project were missing from the website. Both documents, along with the older agency agreement, were posted shortly after auditors’ inquiry.
The audit did not identify the two projects by name in its public findings.
The comptroller said incomplete disclosure limited public access to information needed to understand and evaluate agency operations, finances, governance and individual projects.
Committee materials needed earlier posting
The agency also failed to post documents to be discussed at its audit, finance and governance committee meetings when required.
Instead, officials posted those materials later, with final versions, recommendations and board meeting agendas when they were distributed to the board.
That practice gave the public access to documents at the board stage but reduced transparency during the committees’ consideration, auditors found.
The board and agency officials were advised to regularly check the website to ensure all required information was available.
The agency secretary normally handles website posts and updates. During the period reviewed, the deputy director performed those duties because the secretary’s position was vacant.
The seven-member agency board, appointed by the county Board of Supervisors, is responsible for general management, including website transparency.
Project figures describe different groups
For 2025, the agency reported 35 active projects with total project costs of $265 million and a net employment change of 482 jobs to the Authorities Budget Office.
Those are reported figures, rather than a finding that this website audit independently verified the projects’ employment results. The $265 million represents project costs, not the value of tax exemptions awarded.
The 39 projects whose online records auditors reviewed included the 35 in the 2025 report, a later activated project, a project that assumed another agreement, one that did not proceed and one that was inactive.
The agency’s responsibilities extend to real property, mortgage recording, sales and use tax exemptions. Public project records help residents examine the terms of that assistance and the commitments made by recipients.
We previously reported on the agency’s work involving development planning and water infrastructure.
Data management also drew attention
Auditors found officials had not inventoried and classified computerized data, including personal, private and sensitive information.
The agency uses county-owned computers, network resources, software and information technology policies. Its records include financial, personnel, legal and real property information that may contain sensitive data.
Under county policy cited in the audit, information owners should classify and protect records based on their sensitivity, value and the consequences of loss or disclosure.
Auditors separately communicated sensitive technology control weaknesses to agency officials confidentially. The public report did not disclose those details.
In his Oct. 2 response, Pincelli agreed with the findings and said correction details would appear in the agency’s action plan. The report called for that plan within 90 days and encouraged making it available for public review at the agency’s office.
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