Onondaga County Legislators are working on a measure that gives them more oversight of donations to county government. The move stems from transactions tied to aquarium funding. It would require legislative approval of donations of $10,000 or more from not-for-profit groups like Friends of the Aquarium or Friends of the Rosamond Gifford Zoo. Legislator Elaine Denton said it’s a matter of transparency.
“This just gives the county legislature a check on these transactions where we can ask questions and stay more informed about the fiscal health of these entities and the future investments into our facilities," she said.
If a donation is under $10,000 from a friends group, legislative leaders would be made aware of the gift, but it wouldn’t require a vote. Deputy County Attorney Ryan Ockenden said the updated law doesn’t apply to those donating to the friends groups.
“So if I were to make a donation to a friends group, their internal processes oversee that, we have nothing to do with that," he said. "It's different if then the friends group turns around and makes a donation to the county. That's when this local law comes into effect.”
The law would have applied to the Friends of the Rosamond Gifford Zoo had it succumbed to pressure from the county executive’s office to donate $1 million toward the aquarium. The new measure was discussed at the legislature’s ways and means committee Tuesday and could land on the session agenda next week.
