DUTCHESS COUNTY COMPTROLLER ROBIN LOIS ADVOCATES FOR PROPER OVERSIGHT AND TRANSPARENCY OF STADIUM PROJECT
Poughkeepsie, N.Y. – Preceding the Dutchess County Legislature’s December 8th vote to amend the 2023 Budget to include a $25 million capital project for the Dutchess Stadium, Dutchess County Comptroller Robin Lois shared her assessment and recommendations with policymakers arguing for a rejection of the amendment to ensure proper oversight and transparency regarding its inclusion. Comptroller Lois reiterated her role and responsibility as the chief accountant and auditor of the County to enforce policy and procedures, as well as to strongly encourage transparency and proper oversight in protecting Dutchess County taxpayer dollars and enforcing policy.
“A project of this magnitude deserves public comment and the normal legislative process and review as all other projects,” said Comptroller Lois in an e-mail to legislators prior to the meeting. “Adopting this amendment will remove that legislative and public oversight.”
The Comptroller’s e-mail also included verbatim the requirements necessary for capital building projects expected to have a total project cost of greater than $1,000,000, noting that the methodology proposed by the Legislature to include these funds in the 2023 budget does not satisfy these requirements and therefore circumvents proper oversight and transparency. This amendment process in fact removes further review and oversight of this still evolving project.
“This twelfth hour amendment was not openly and timely shared with myself, the public or even the full legislature prior to the meeting after several request,” observed the Comptroller. “There was no compelling reason that the Legislature gave during debate Thursday night that precluded this project from waiting until January and following proper process, public comment and transparent oversight.”
Ultimately, the Comptroller’s recommendations were not taken into consideration and the amendment was passed with no input from taxpayers as required by County policy. Despite this, the Comptroller’s Office will work diligently to provide internal oversight of this project and report all spending to the taxpayers.
