Urges Attorney General Cuomo to initiate proceedings to require Thruway Board members to repay the state for travel perks

Assemblyman David Koon (D/I - Perinton) is calling on Attorney General Andrew Cuomo to fully investigate the New York State Thruway Authority in regards to the doling out of free EZ-Pass tags to board members.

“The evidence keeps on piling up that the Thruway Authority Board has mismanaged funds at the taxpayers expense while receiving outrageous perks,” Koon said. “These positions are supposed to be unpaid and yet now we have learned they are receiving free EZ-Pass tags. The taxpayers of New York State deserve to be repaid.”

Koon’s call for restitution comes on the heels of Attorney General Cuomo’s warning to the MTA that they must produce records of benefits provided to board members. Upon that request to the MTA, the Thruway Authority reportedly announced they would give up their EZ-Pass perks.

Koon added that under the state’s Tweed Law, the attorney general’s office could initiate proceedings requiring individual board members to repay the Authority for the perks they’ve received.

“These Board members are supposed to be serving uncompensated. I find it hard to believe that it did not occur to them that this perk was unallowable,” Koon said. “It’s time to accept that this public authority cannot be trusted any longer. Paying the taxpayers back for this misuse of power is the obvious choice to make.”

Assemblyman Koon has been a champion in the fight against overwhelming toll hikes. Already this year, the Assembly passed a bill authored by Assemblyman Koon which eliminates tolls for short distance commuters in the Rochester area (A.7094). If the bill is adopted by the Senate and Governor, permits would be issued to motorists commuting in the Rochester, Canandaigua, Victor and Farmington areas, encouraging commuters to utilize the Thruway corridor.

Additionally, just this week legislation sponsored by Assemblyman David Gantt and co-sponsored by Assemblyman Koon passed the Assembly which would immediately oust the current Thruway Authority Board of Directors. The bill would end the terms of the current members and provide for a transition method for future members serving when a new governor is inaugurated (A.10286).

Another audit conducted by the state’s Comptroller, concerning vehicle use by the Thruway Authority, noted that board members were unjustly provided automobiles for both business and personal use. The audit also found the board has questionable financial policies that include no plans in place to collect significantly overdue, unpaid EZ-Pass tolls and fines, and no checks in place to withhold payments to state agency vendors who have EZ-Pass violations. Plus, the audit found that the Authority’s Canalway Trail to date costs $17 million and is about 40 percent over budget.  ::May 29, 2008::