WXXI: County Sacks Robutrad Contract (2009-07-01)

Monroe County Executive Maggie Brooks is canceling the county's contract with Robutrad, the firm that provides union labor for local projects.

That comes after more than a dozen Robutrad workers, and a county employee, Robert Morone, were charged with billing the county for work they did on private projects, some for local politicians, or for time not spent working at all.

Brooks says she's pursuing several avenues to return stolen taxpayer funds to county coffers, and that the end of the Robutrad contract will boost oversight.

"The termination of the Robutrad contract should serve as notice that protecting our taxpayers continues to be a daily priority for this administration - something that will never be impacted by any personal, political, or contractual relationship, no matter how longstanding it may be."

The cancellation is effective on August first. Brooks says no work will be delayed in the interim, while the county works out a new strategy for hiring workers.

Brooks had previously fielded questions about whether the county would end its relationship with Robutrad, at a press event in June, after federal charges were first filed against Morone. Then she told reporters that the county was reexamining its contract with Robutrad, but did not mention plans to cancel it.

Wednesday Brooks said there was "mutual agreement" the Robutrad model is "broken."

But legislature Democrats say the move to cancel the contract isn't enough. They'd previously called for the state comptroller to look into the county's management, to address what Minority Leader Harry Bronson called "a Republican problem: a problem of corruption, a problem of pay-to-play, a problem of putting politics before people."

A federal complaint issued against Morone in July mentioned leaders in the county administration and Republican party as receiving work from Robutrad. Brooks contends that those individuals should be considered victims until law enforcement officials deem otherwise, because they paid for work that was also being charged to the county.

Democrats say they'll know by the end of the month if the comptroller will conduct an audit.

At the press event on Wednesday, Brooks also fielded questions about whether it was appropriate for her to continue to campaign with the county's Republican sheriff, as he conducts an investigation into the wrongdoing at Robutrad. She told reporters that she and the sheriff are a team and she'll continue to support him. Brooks says he's sworn an oath to uphold the law, regardless of his political affiliation.

Robutrad was set up in 1989 to help the county save money on big capital projects. Then-County Executive Tom Frey was authorized by a resolution to enter into the contract indefinitely, without approval of the Legislature.

Part of the Wednesday announcement is the introduction of legislation, backed by over a dozen legislature Republicans, that will prevent the county from entering into similar contracts in the future.