Ross to ask NPC to bring in state comptroller

Lewiston Porter Sentinel, March 25, 2006

Niagara County Chairman Bill Ross, who chairs the Niagara County Power Coalition, said he intends to ask the other coalition members at a special meeting next week to support a resolution asking state comptroller Alan Hevesi to come in and conduct a full audit of the group’s finances.

“There are facts we know; there are allegations being tossed around; there is rumor, innuendo – and none of it is good,” Ross said. “This is public money, and we need an unbiased review of what the heck happened.”

Ross said the coalition initially tapped Pat Brown of Brown and Company to do a simple accountant’s report and that he directed the coalition’s law firm, Harris Beach, to dig further after some things in the report didn’t add up.

“We immediately and rightly went public with all the facts we discovered that involved potentially illegal meetings, overpayments and very serious allegations that involve the coalition’s former Executive Director Mark Zito,” Ross said. “As a group, we voted to take some very specific actions, including having our attorneys investigate further and report back to us at our next meeting.”

Ross said he believes that investigation has now been tainted by Lewiston Supervisor Fred Newlin’s blatant attempt to score some political points on the issue.

“Fred Newlin concocted a scheme to hold an illegal meeting yesterday (Thursday) without properly notifying coalition members, knowing full well I was out of town,” Ross said. “He wanted to create a high-profile event so he could grandstand. That’s such a breach of ethics that I am thoroughly disgusted with him.”

“And considering one of the major issues surrounding the initial accountant’s report was the holding of an illegal meeting, I’m surprised Fred Newlin would attempt to do it again,” Ross said.

(See story “Canceled Coalition meeting spurs questions” for Newlin’s reasons for the meeting)

Ross said he’s received phone calls regarding alleged conflicts of interest that involve Pat Brown.

“I have a lot of respect for Brown and Company, but considering that Pat Brown represents many of the towns that are members of the coalition certainly raises some questions. We can’t have any appearance of favoritism, given the seriousness of the issues that have been raised,” Ross said. “Therefore, it has become clear that we need an outside perspective, free of these political shenanigans and conflicts of interest. I believe that state Comptroller Alan Hevesi is in the best position to provide that leadership.”