WPCNR WESTCHESTER COUNTY CLARION-LEDGER. From Department of Communications. October 7, 2003: Saying Westchester taxpayers should not have to bear the burden of massive mistakes by a state agency on the courthouse project, County Executive Andy Spano today called for state legislation to force the responsible state agency to pay for the $42 million in cost overruns.
In a letter sent today, Spano asked state Assemblyman Richard Brodsky to introduce a bill to force the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York (DASNY) to foot the bill. Spano said he hoped that all other members of the Westchester delegation to the state Legislature would join in the effort as well.
“The overruns must be borne by the party primarily responsible – the project manager, the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York,” Spano said.
In a separate matter – to emphasize the point that this courthouse is not a Westchester County government facility – Spano today proposed legislation to rename the courthouse the Richard J. Daronco New York State Courthouse, Westchester County, NY. Currently, it is called the Richard J. Daronco County Courthouse, or informally, the county courthouse.
“This is a symbolic gesture to make it clear that this project is not a Westchester County government project and that this courthouse is beyond the control of Westchester County,” Spano said.
Last month, state Comptroller Alan Hevesi and State Administrative Judge Jonathan Lippman issued separate reports dealing with the courthouse project.
· According to Hevesi’s report, “The Dormitory Authority bears a significant responsibility” for the overruns on what was supposed to have been a $140 million project. Hevesi said it was appropriate that county taxpayers foot the bill for the original project but that “asking them to pay the full $51.5 million for the overruns and mistakes is not.” Hevesi said the Authority should pay for the costs of the overruns.
· Judge Lippman said the overruns “are primarily attributable to deficiencies” in the plan developed before Spano took office and “ineffective management of key project developments” by DASNY.
Lippman, however, ordered the county to pay for the overruns, threatening to divert a comparable amount of state aid (for other programs) from the county to pay for the courthouse if the county does not come up with the money by Nov. 14.
According to Lippman, the Dormitory Authority lacks the power on its own to give Westchester the funds to pay for the overruns. For that reason, Spano is asking Brodsky to sponsor the legislation to empower the authority to foot the bill for the problems it created.
