ALBANY The lobby association for New York's newspapers is urging lawmakers to reject parts of Gov. Andrew Cuomo's proposed $152 billion state budget, contending the package would make some state contracts less transparent and would give the administration "virtually unconstrained authority" over public works projects.
A memo released in late January by the New York News Publishers Associations to its members argues that the bundle of budget bills framed by the Cuomo administration would harm government transparency in New York.
Specifically, the association, in the memo authored by its director, Diane Kennedy, states that it would allow the governor's administration to bypass the review authority of the state comptroller's office the state's fiscal watchdog with proposed contracts for some public construction projects.
The proposed process being advanced by the Cuomo administration could result in newspapers and local contractors being kept unaware of public works projects being planned for their communities, Kennedy warned.
"The Governors proposal would make this new public works method permanent and expand its provisions to all state agencies, authorities, local governments outside New York City, the State University and City University of New York, as well as their affiliates and subsidiaries," Kennedy said in the memo. "It would apply to all projects expected to cost more than $1.2 million."
In response, a spokesman for Cuomo's Division of the Budget, Freeman Klopott, said the measures being advanced by the governor will equip the state "with tools that will keep public works projects on time and reduce taxpayer costs through a transparent, public bidding process.
Klopott noted that two major design and construction projects, the replacements of the Tappan Zee and Kosciuszko bridges, are proceeding smoothly and "remain on budget."
Kennedy said in an interview that the publishers "are not objecting to best-value contracting and we're not opposed to doing public works in innovative ways. We just want to make sure the public is adequately informed."
NYNPA's members in New York include theLockport Union-Sun & Journal,the Niagara Gazette and the Plattsburgh Press-Republican, all newspapers published by Community News Holdings Inc., the company that also owns The Daily Star in Oneonta.
Kennedy's contention that the public's ability to access state information would be weakened echoes concerns that good-government groups have been making regarding what they contend is the need for greater transparency in public works contracts.
The push for independent oversight over state spending has been led by Comptroller Tom DiNapoli. Cuomo and DiNapoli are Democrats, though their relationship has been rocky.
Lawmakers and Cuomo must be in accord on final budget bills by March 31 for the spending plan to be in place when the new state fiscal year begins April 1. The Senate and Assembly are expected to draft their own budget plans in March, after which negotiations aimed at achieving compromise will commence.
In an interview, DiNapoli said that he shares the concern that "the additional steps being proposed would certainly reduce some of the accountability that comes with oversight."
Of particular concern, he said, is a Cuomo push for "a very significant expansion of executive power without any real check on it. I think that is why the Legislature is taking a close look at it, as well they should."
While it remains unclear whether lawmakers will accept Cuomo's proposals or revise them, DiNapoli said he hopes that the final rush of horse-trading to produce a spending blueprint doesn't occur "at the expense of transparency and accountability."
Cuomo's administration was rocked last year by federal corruption charges against the governor's former top aide, Joseph Percoco, SUNY Polytechnic Institute leader Alain Kaloyeros, lobbyist Todd Howe and six upstate development executives on charges stemming from a probe into bid-rigging and bribery.
In January, Cuomo highlighted the need for ethics reforms, including a 10-point plan in one of State of the State speeches, calling for limits on the outside income of lawmakers as well as term limits for elected officials and an expansion of Freedom of Information Law requirements for the Legislature.
Kennedy's memo also called attention to the fact that the budget proposals would exempt records of complaints filed with the state against ride-hailing companies from being accessed with Freedom of Information Law requests. Cuomo and many lawmakers are calling for authorization for such companies as Uber and Lyft to offer their services in upstate communities. Such complaints are now public record in New York City, where the companies already operate
Joe Mahoney covers the New York Statehouse for CNHIs newspapers and websites. Reach him at jmahoney@cnhi.com.
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