ALBANY, N.Y. -- For state lawmakers and some budget hawks, START-UP New York is a controversial economic development program in need of scrutiny. To Gov. Andrew Cuomo's administration, it's a success.

"We have hundreds of companies," said Howard Zemsky, Empire State Development Corp. CEO. "I think we've created an environment where a lot of those businesses that have left, that have traditionally left upstate, aren't leaving."

However, more than four years into the program that provides tax-free zones for businesses on college campuses, there are questions about its future. START-UP New York has been without an executive director and that does not appear to change anytime soon.

"We've laid the foundation and we continue to add businesses," Zemsky said.

Upstate New York, over the last decade, has struggled to retain jobs and its population. Lawmakers disagree with the rosy assessment of economic development officials.

"It clearly has not been a success, but especially the way it was built. That's the problem," said assemblyman Ray Walter (R-146). "They come in with all this fanfare and all of these great talking ponits about how it's going to transform the economic situation in New York and then the results aren't following up what the rhetoric is."

State lawmakers have questioned START-UP NY's effectiveness and whether a new economic development plan is needed.

"Is START-UP NY a great tool in the tool belt for economic development? Maybe. But certainly it isn't the end all be all that it was touted when the governor first rolled it out," Walter said.

Empire State Development President Howard Zemsky agrees with that assessment in part, saying the program isn't the only job creation vehicle for New York. 

"It doesn't transform upstate New York in and of itself, but all of these things working together I think are having a transformative impact," Zemsky said.

Participating businesses have pledged to create more than 4,000 jobs, but the actual number of jobs created so far is only 1,100.