Village residents learned in the September newsletter that our village board is preparing to re-bid a scaled-back version of the multi-million dollar Croton Point Avenue project this fall. The necessary work that is being removed from the bid will now be performed by the village instead.
Residents are told that “by doing these projects independently of the main project, it is hoped that the new bids received in the fall will be in line with funding estimates.” The “funding estimate” referenced is approximately $3 million dollars. This is twice the original estimated cost of the project, which was supposed to be funded by an 80% grant of $1.2 million and a village expenditure of $300,000. The taxpayers’ current estimated expenditure on this project will be close to $2 million dollars, approximately six times the original estimated cost to the taxpayers.
“When bids for this project went out earlier this year, the board expected residents to pay six times as much for the same project. Now, residents are being told that the bids will require the winning bidder to perform even less work for six times the original estimated cost, and that we’ll have to pay even more to complete the project by having village employees perform the rest of what’s required. What will be the cost of the work that will have to be performed by village employees? What impact will this have on our village budget, or on village debt, which is now growing again under the spendthrift Pugh administration?”
When bids for this project went out earlier this year, the board expected residents to pay six times as much for the same project. Now, residents are being told that the bids will require the winning bidder to perform even less work for six times the original estimated cost, and that we’ll have to pay even more to complete the project by having village employees perform the rest of what’s required. What will be the cost of the work that will have to be performed by village employees? What impact will this have on our village budget, or on village debt, which is now growing again under the spendthrift Pugh administration? Notably, not one member of our one-party government, nor any of the candidates from that party who expect village residents to support them this November, are discussing this subject in public at all.
Roseann Schuyler