More questions are being raised about the private donations being used to support the building of the aquarium. The Onondaga County Legislature wants to take a closer look at some transactions.
At issue is a report from the county comptroller that shows how $5.7 million made its way from the Greater Syracuse Soundstage Development Corporation, a public entity, to the non-profit Friends of the Aquarium group. It’s listed as a private donation, but Legislature chair Nicole Watts said in a virtual news conference the ambiguity requires a closer look and more transparency.
“We are doing our due diligence to review these transactions and to do the county business in a way that is above board, that is legal, that is ethical, and that is ultimately what is right and good and best for the people of Onondaga County," she said.
Watts said they’re considering internal and third-party reviews.
“Some of the options could include the county's board of ethics. It could include outside council that we just voted on earlier this year," she said.
The Friends of the Aquarium is charged with raising the final $19 million to cover the nearly $104 million cost of the project. All members are appointed by the county executive. Citing federal privacy laws, Chair William Gilberti didn’t disclose the transaction or identify any other donors at a lengthy legislature committee meeting last month. That has Watts wondering if the law applies to taxpayer-funded local development corporations, or LDC’s like the Greater Syracuse Soundstage.
“We have been concerned about the lack of transparency related to Friends of the Aquarium, but we're also just generally asking questions about the other LDCs the county works with," she said.
Other examples include the Civic Development Corporation and the Development Corporation, which runs the O-CHIP housing incentive program.
Meanwhile, Watts said she wants to ensure the aquarium is successful in a way that respects the public money already invested.
