Reinvent Albany and other environmental and good government groups lodged a formal complaint against the Environmental Facilities Corporation today. The complaint asks the Authorities Budget Office to investigate the State Environmental Facilities Corporation for potential violations of the Public Authorities Reform Act it engaged in while fast tracking the approval of a $256m loan for the Thruway Authority to pay for Tappan Zee Bridge construction . This is the first such action by Reinvent Albany, but we agree with our colleagues that the EFC appears to have blatantly violated its own rules and procedures.
1. The application for the loan to the Thruway was made months after the established deadline and went through no public review or comment period.
2. The Governor issued a press release announcing the approval of the loan ten days before the EFC board vote and three days before EFC board members recieved briefing materials.
3. The application was made on May 30, 2013 and the vote taken on June 26, 2014, but all required application documents were supposed to be received by February 3, 2014.