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 White Plains, NY - The League of Women Voters® of Westchester (LWVW) sent a message to the entire Westchester County Board of Legislators and County Executive Andrew Spano opposing the proposed purchase of 450 Saw Mill River Road for the Board of Elections.
Below is the letter outlining the reasons for the League’s opposition that was sent to county officials by League President Mary Beth Gose and Chair of the League’s County Budget Committee, Barbara Strauss.
For further information, please contact LWVW President Mary Beth Gose at 722-2403.
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THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS® OF WESTCHESTER
200 HAMILTON AVENUE, WHITE PLAINS, NEW YORK 10601
Tel: (914)949-0507 Fax: (914)997-9354
E-mail:
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Website: www.LWVWestchester.org
March 9, 2008
The Honorable José I. Alvarado
Chair, Budget and Appropriations Committee
Westchester County Board of Legislators
800 Michaelian Office Building
148 Martine Avenue
White Plains, New York 10601
RE: Purchase of 450 Saw Mill River Road for Board of Elections
Dear Mr. Alvarado:
After observing the Budget and Appropriations Committee (B&A) meeting that you chaired on Thursday, March 6, 2008, the League of Women Voters® of Westchester strongly objects to the B&A’s bundled approval of the seven resolutions related to the purchase of 450 Saw Mill River Road for the Board of Elections. There were many due diligence questions that the B&A did not address related to the financial implications of the proposed purchase, and, as such, the League believes that you and the members of the B&A did not carry out your fiduciary duty in representing the taxpayers of Westchester County.
Financial Issues
Given the current declining economic conditions, the League questions why the County would agree to buy at a price ($5.4 million) that is slightly greater than the amount ($5.2 million) that was negotiated more than one year ago. The commercial real estate market is softer than it was a year ago, and, on behalf of the taxpayers, one would expect that the County would have been able to negotiate a lower price for this property which has been on the market for several years. The B&A did not raise this question.
The summary analysis of the responses to the Request for Information (RFI), issued by the County on July 13, 2007, provided cursory rental information about six properties that were available at July 30, 2007, including 450 Saw Mill River Road. Each of the responders provided information about the costs associated with leasing their properties as required by the RFI, and it was noted that “…the rental deal [for 450 Saw Mill River Road] was withdrawn December 2007.” As Mr. Rogowsky observed during the discussion, the RFI did not request the responders to provide information about the sales prices of their properties. Despite this oversight, additional analysis was provided by the County which compared the lease/purchase of one of the properties, 10 County Center Road, with the purchase of 450 Saw Mill River Road. The assumptions underlying this comparison were more favorable toward the 450 Saw Mill River Road property, and these assumptions should be questioned. For example, the County’s analysis for 450 Saw Mill River Road assumes a 20-year interest rate of 4%, despite the fact that the current 20-year yield on bonds for triple A-rated municipalities is higher at 5.02% (see www.Bloomberg.com), thereby understating the estimated financing costs for this property.
Operational Issues
The County’s list of pros and cons for the two sites does not provide any cons for 450 Saw Mill River Road. The League respectfully disagrees with this analysis and is concerned about the property’s limited accessibility. 450 Saw Mill River Road is located off of a winding, narrow, hilly road with limited access to public transportation. There is only one local Bee-Line bus route (#5 – Yonkers-White Plains-Harrison) that passes by the property. It is anticipated that thousands of people will be trained at this site each year, and they will be expected to drive there. Those who rely on public transportation will have to walk up a steep hill from the bus stop to reach the building. The League is concerned that this difficult physical access will function as a barrier, particularly against seniors and people with physical disabilities.
The League also questions the stated necessity that voting machines be warehoused at the same facility in which the Board of Elections staff is located. This requirement automatically restricts the number of venues that can be considered as economically feasible for lease or purchase, including those that might be most easily accessible to the public. The League maintains that public accessibility to the Board of Elections is paramount in a representative democracy to assure that the voting needs of the public can be met directly. Therefore, it is important for the Board of Elections public offices to be in a location that is most central to the population and most readily accessible via public transportation.
Recommendations
The League recognizes the County’s need to act quickly under the circumstances. However, given the significant cost associated with this transaction (estimated at $13.3 million), this need must be balanced against the County’s obligation to protect the interests of Westchester’s citizens as taxpayers and voters. Because the analysis provided to the B&A was based on information that was obtained last year, and because economic conditions have declined, the League urges the B&A to obtain information that is current and up-to-date before making your recommendation. At a minimum, the League urges the full Board of Legislators to refer these seven resolutions back to the B&A so that you can conduct a more thorough evaluation in exercising your fiduciary responsibility to the taxpayers of Westchester County.
Sincerely,
Mary Beth Gose
President, LWV of Westchester
Barbara Strauss
Chair, County Budget Committee, LWVW
cc: Members of B&A
Mr. Thomas J. Abinanti
Mr. William Burton
Mr. Peter Harckham
Mr. Kenneth W. Jenkins
Mr. Michael B. Kaplowitz (Vice Chair, BOL)
Ms. Judith A. Myers
Mr. George Oros
Mr. Martin Rogowsky
Mr. William J. Ryan (Chair, BOL)
Ms. Bernice Spreckman
Mr. Lyndon Williams
Other Members of BOL
Ms. Lois T. Bronz
Mr. Gordon A. Burrows
Mr. James Maisano
Mr. John Nonna
Mr. Vito J. Pinto
County Executive
Mr. Andrew Spano
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