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| May 05, 2024 |
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General News: Many Voices Speak Out on Comptroller Report
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| Melissa Vellone (center) asked other village residents to stand to show their concern about how the DPW project was handled. |
February 29, 2012
By Charlie B. Scirbona
Cornwall-on-Hudson residents and board members alike spoke up Monday about the recent New York State Comptroller’s report that cited the village for not handling the construction of the DPW building in 2005-2006 in the best interest of village taxpayers.
The village boardroom was close to full during the monthly business meeting with most there to voice their opinions on the recent comptroller’s report.
Jan Smith, a candidate for Village Trustee on March 20, said that she’d been keeping track of the village’s financial statements for the past year and found village revenue misdated four times and expenses misdated two times. She added that she is concerned that there were more unauthorized budget transfers, an issue cited by the state comptroller.
“There have been more transfers this year, in addition to the $5.8 million in previous years, and they haven’t been coming in front of the board as far as I can see,” Smith said.
Residents Present Ideas on Both Side of the DPW Issue
Resident Melisa Vellone read a statement concerning the overspending on the DPW project in 2005. The project was originally budgeted for $722,000 and ultimately cost $929,000. The village government also bonded $960,000 for the project. She asked the board to account for every penny of the $207,000 overage, and provide all financial records from the Cornwall-on-Hudson Local Development Corporation, which oversaw the project. Vellone also asked people in the room who agreed with her to stand in solidarity.
“We speak together,” said Vellone. A little less than half the people seated stood with Vellone.
Not every resident who spoke up was upset with the board. Moacyr Calhelha commended the majority of the board for trying to move forward on getting the DPW building fixed. He also said that as a “recovering attorney” he knows that using litigation to recover any money from the builders could cost at least $125,000 and might come to nothing.
Kris Seiz disagreed with Vellone’s statement that the board was acting too rapidly to fix the building since it was now two years since the building closed. She also noted that when Vellone called for people to stand with her none of the DPW employees did so.
Trustee Calls for a New Audit
The Village Board members also sounded off on the comptrollers report. Trustee Andrew Argenio put forward a motion toward the end of the meeting that called for the village to recognize the issues presented and transfer $50,000 from the building maintenance line in the current budget to pay for a certified audit of the LDC to account for the $207,000 overage as well as all wire transfers mentioned in the comptroller’s report. His motion failed 3-2.
While discussing the motion, Trustee Jim Kane pointed out that village did have a total accounting for the $960,000 borrowed for the DPW project in 2005.
“Was it all spent on the DPW building or the LDC? Well it doesn’t look like that, but the insinuation that the $207,000 (overage) was stolen by someone is wrong,” said Kane.
Village Clerk Presents Account of Where Funds Spent
Village Clerk Jeanne Mahoney also spoke up on this subject, explaining that the auditor for the comptroller had been given a list of the payments made.
“Every dime of that money was accounted for,” said Mahoney. “What she cited the village for was that the village should have had a separate written agreement for that money between Burns and Whalen and the LDC,” she said. Nowhere in the comptroller’s report does it say that the overage of $207,000 is missing.
Trustee Kane and Deputy Mayor Mark Edsall also wanted to clarify their concerns about the comptroller’s report on the DPW process. They released to the press their comments about the report, pointing out that the LDC was formed in full compliance with state law and that all of its actions that involved the DPW project were legal. The two trustees write that it is “inflammatory” of the comptroller to suggest that the village tried to avoid certain laws.
They also point out that the report calls the building unusable even though it was occupied in the past and can be fixed and occupied again. Likewise, they charge that the village has been “caught up in the OSC’s reform dragnet,” citing a 2011 press release in which the state comptroller targeted LCDs for reform.
Ultimately it was Village Mayor Brendan Coyne who had the last word of the night when he explained that it’s been a stated goal of his to get the DPW building repaired and he’s happy the project is progressing.
“I have the sense that were Mother Theresa herself to give this project her blessing there would still be people who would be opposed to it,” said Coyne.
If you'd like to see even more documents relating to the DPW project, you may download the following below:
Trustee Kane and Edsall's Comments on the Comptrollers Report
Village Clerk's Account of DPW Bond Spending
Comments:
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I find this whole matter disturbing on so many levels. I'm glad I don't live in the village.
posted by J Klein on 02/29/12 at 4:56 PM
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Please note, a little less then half the room stood with Melissa Vellone. That tells me the public,aka taxpayers, are equally divided in their opinion of the matter, not just the board. I'd like to thank the Mayor and trustee's Edsall and Kane for representing the the rest of the village residents, myself included!
posted by Kerry Merritt on 03/02/12 at 5:06 PM
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Ms. Merritt - The article states a little less than half the room - Most of the other half the room consisted of the DPW employees and the press - ALMOST every resident present stood with me, and I would like to thank them for standing together -
As Ms. Seiz commented, none of the employees stood, but I would also like to add, almost none of those employees are Village residents (I think perhaps 2 are?)
posted by Melissa Vellone on 03/02/12 at 6:42 PM
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