POUGHKEEPSIE – An audit report on the purchase and renovation costs for the property at 45 Market Street in Poughkeepsie, which now houses the public defender’s office, was critical of the tripling of the cost of the project.
The audit was conducted by the office of Dutchess County Comptroller Robin Lois as a follow-up to concerns of the legislature, the comptroller’s office and taxpayers, she said.
The initial request for purchase and renovations of the building was $2.4 million in 2016; in 2018, the administration went back to the legislature to request another $4.6 million to complete the work. The full project cost to date is $7.1 million.
“The accelerated nature of the purchase of the 45 Market Street building is indicative of a weak control environment and contributed to a lack of a thorough risk assessment for this project.” Lois said.
The report details major findings that contributed to a weak control environment, including lack of property comparison and cost analysis; lack of complete and thorough scope for renovations; and lack of oversight from the county legislature.
Lois recommended the county enhance the “capital project – building” policy, adopted in 2018 in response to concerns for the project, or adopt a new one that addresses her audit’s concerns and recommendations.
“As a priority, the comptroller’s office continues to monitor and scrutinize daily payments toward this and all capital projects, ensuring all payments are in accordance with the approved budgets and contract terms in order to protect taxpayer funds,” Lois said.
Full audit report:
https://www.dutchessny.gov/Departments/Comptroller/Docs/Comptroller-Audit-Report-45-Market-Street.pdf
