The Port Washington Police District headquarters real estate transaction timeline and current commissioners’ public statements refute claims made in the July 2 town council hearing to consider and approve a $32 million construction bond for a new police headquarters.
Timeline: The Port Washington Police District formed a Civilian Building Committee in 2011, disbanding that some time later, forming an unnamed building committee in 2018, began the process of acquiring Main Street real estate for a new headquarters in 2021, and recommended repopulating the building committee in 2022. At its November 8, 2023 meeting, the Port Washington Police District moved forward with a land purchase with the intention of building a new $30 million police headquarters using $8.8 million from the district’s capital reserve accounts. Throughout the timeline, real estate dealings were withheld from public oversight by invocation of ‘executive session’ (LI Press, PWPD meeting minutes, Newsday)
Ms. Mullins’ reported public statements supported improving the present facility, due in part to its ideal location. “Mullins said that she voted against previously suggested locations due to their low accessibility and visibility to the public and was a major proponent for staying in the present building.” (Island360)
Mr. Meyer did state he conceptually preferred a new headquarters, and that “he would take the building committee meetings out of executive session for the public,” which has never occurred. (LWV, Island360, PWPD meeting minutes)
Mr. McCarthy ran for Commissioner two years after an unelected building committee sized and costed a facility, two years after the headquarters real estate acquisition was negotiated, and after the November 2023 purchase decision. Since his election, the construction budget has swelled to $32 million, in part due to as he explained small department inefficiencies. (Island360, Public Hearings)
As noted at the Town Council meeting, two former Commissioners ran on advancing improvements to the present facility – against a new $40 million facility. Both former commissioners, one while he was a sitting Commissioner, circulated a series of petitions for public permissive referendums on the new headquarters proposal.
The police district still has not validated financial and tax burden statistics used in its bond report, application, and public hearings, or in response to questions posed in public meetings to Commissioners, Counsel and Special Counsel in June and July 2024.
Small special districts with inherent inefficiencies merit consolidation or dissolution, as permitted under New York State law, as previously discussed in 2010, not increasingly onerous levels of tax subsidy being proposed now. (Patch)
Simply put, without a plan other than ‘we want a new headquarters’, Port Washington Police District and Commissioners are not representing taxpayers’ fiduciary interests. The new headquarters proposal deserves to be sent back to the drawing board for legitimate public input to a legitimate business case, wherever that leads. Until then, it is time to press pause on any further spending, and to publicly plan for no-cost exit options.
Robert Mann
Port Washington