County Manager Thaddeus Lucero said the move would allow the government to consolidate its offices — now spread across a handful of Downtown locations — into one spot. Several real estate professionals said the new location would be more convenient."Consolidation, no additional cost to the taxpayers" - sounds like APS trying to sell the purchase of the buildings formerly known as City Centre to the public. The consolidation has never happened and APS still holds all of the properties it previously owned and all but one are still in use.
"We can do it at no additional cost to the taxpayer," Lucero said. "This is a smart idea."
We first told you about the purchase a week before the commission rushed the issue to a vote. The county has not even made a compelling case that it needs a new facility or studied the fiscal impact of the purchase.
The tenants "have some very serious concerns," Campbell said. "There hasn't been the kind of public discussion you usually require for spending tens of millions of dollars on public improvements."By the way, these are the same tenants that the county is counting on to pay for the project over the first three years. Our guess is these tenants will be vacating the premises as soon as their leases allow leaving the county... well, us holding the bag. And let's face it; the county would be a terrible landlord - especially since it intends to occupy the property as soon as the current tenants are out.
(Sidebar)The only commissioner who seems to be able to resist the temptation to spend our money is Commissioner Brasher. In this vote - like many others - he was the lone voice asking for the county to justify its need for the property.
Another little problem we have with the move is that it creates space over at the City/County Government Center. Just what we need, more space for the city. There must be a law somewhere that in every instance government will expand to fill the facilities it owns just like the sun always must rise in the east. If nothing else we need the county to stay put simply to keep the size of the city at bay.
(End Sidebar)
We can think of a lot of areas where the county could spend over $42 MILLION - like a jail expansion, or on aging county fire equipment. Instead, four county commissioners (Armijo, Archuletta, Cummins, and Cordova) are ready to spend our money on a new home for themselves while the westside jail overflows and fire equipment breaks down.
It seems that history is repeating itself... only this time the county will spend $42 MILLION without our consent and without making a convincing argument that they need the facility.
----- Correction -----
We originally posted that the new county building would be on the November ballot... Is our Eye red! We were wrrrrong... It's a done deal and voters will not have an opportunity to weigh in on the purchase. FYI - The Eye Poll is running 2 to 1 against the purchase.
6 comments:
This deal has sleaze written all over it. Think the pay-offs at the courthouse were bad? They pale in comparison to this one.
A good place to start? Who are the folks getting the almost $3 million in real estate commissions?
There's also the various violations of the Open Meetings Act. The "Gang of Four" only found out about this last week?
Give me a break.
I don't think the County is placing this buidling purchase on the November ballot. It's a done deal, which is what should spark even more concern from taxpayers who had no say in the purchase. County officials plan to vacate the City/County building by the end of this year.
" ... sounds like APS trying to sell the purchase of the buildings formerly known as City Centre to the public. The consolidation has never happened and APS still holds all of the properties it previously owned and all but one are still in use."
If you ask APS COO Brad Winter how many tax dollars have been spent at 6400 Uptown Blvd., he will not tell you. He won't even tell you how much money they spent on their spiffy new board room.
What more proof do you need that you have LOST all control over power and resources that are fundamentally your own;
than for a public servant, Brad Winter, to refuse to answer legitimate questions about the public interests?
The beginning of the end of this crap, is the first school board meeting where enough people show up to demand a full scale impartial forensic audit of the public interests in the public schools.
Once the precedent has been set,
we will demand an audit of city administration,
then county,
then state.
The only reason to resist an audit is to hide a record of incompetence and corruption.
There is no other reason.
The only reason they get away with it is nobody will stand up and fight back.
They win by default.
"You pick a side when you don't pick a side." unk
"All that is necessary for evil to prevail in the world, is for good men to do nothing" eddie burke
Are you certain this is on the November ballot? I was under the impression from the news stories that the commission voted on some other items to be added, but that the purchase of this bldg was a done deal with no voter input. If I'm wrong I am happily so!
Brasher for Mayor 2010.
This actually might be a good investment, however I'd like to see the County sell off some holdings that aren't being used. That would be the smart way to do it.
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