BOLs to the Wall: Dems Dissect Decision by Astorino on Playand
Not so fast – that is the fast word from Board of Legislator Dems who clearly feel shanghaied by the secret Playland deal negotiated by Republican Rob Astorino. Seems no one can play nice in the Playland sandbox.
In their message Thursday, BOL Dems said they will dissect the deal:
"Westchester Legislators Begin Thorough Review of Playland Asset Management Agreement
(WHITE PLAINS, NY) In response to the announcement that the County of Westchester has reached a tentative Management Agreement with Standard Amusements for Playland, several Westchester County Legislators are beginning their thorough review of the agreement to make sure the agreement addresses the concerns of all stakeholders and is in the best interest of county taxpayers.
The contract that was negotiated behind closed doors was announced the day before several legislators were prepared to subpoena important documents, including a report that was several months overdue and cost the taxpayers $100,000.
The tentative agreement between the County Executive and Standard Amusements is subject to Board of Legislators approval.
Legislator Catherine Parker, who represents Playland and the other sound shore communities said, “We don’t want to see the same mistakes of the past happen again and we want to make sure that the county taxpayer is the receiver of a deal that is going to reduce the tax burden. These are different terms than what was originally proposed by Standard and I have questions for both the administration and the vendor. Any arrangement must include a real investment into the park and at the same time reduce the burden of debt that puts the park in the red and hands the taxpayers the bill.”
“Our first priority is and always has been respecting the taxpayers of Westchester to make sure that Playland, the beautiful and iconic park owned by taxpayers, remains a tremendous asset for the county,” stated BOL Majority Leader Catherine Borgia. “The Board of Legislators looks forward to a rigorous oversight of the agreement. Working in collaboration with Standard Amusements, we will dive into the financial projections and the specifics of the plan in detail to make sure the interests and concerns of all necessary stakeholders are addressed.”
The LPPH Committee is scheduled to meet on Wednesday, April 15, 2015 at 9AM."
