In a letter to the Lt. Governor and Secretary of State, New Jersey State Senate Republican Budget Members requested that the $24 million of State taxpayer funds appropriated though the Department of State in FY 2022 for the Centre Pompidou X museum project is redirected to a more responsible purpose.
The full letter follows:
Dear Lt Governor/Secretary of State Way;
We are writing to request that you immediately take steps to ensure the $24 million of State taxpayer funds appropriated though the Department of State in FY 2022 for the Centre Pompidou X museum project is redirected to a more responsible purpose. The Department of State executed a grant agreement with the Jersey City Redevelopment Authority shortly after the appropriation was enacted which unwisely advanced $6 million of those funds for the project. The advanced funds, as well as the $18 million balance in Department of State accounts, remains unspent. We believe it would be better used almost anywhere else.
This $24 million is in addition to the $34 million appropriated to the Economic Development Authority (EDA) that they froze last week because of questions about the project’s viability. They warned that the project appears deficit-laden and would require a $19 million subsidy in perpetuity. The City’s finances are well-known to be a grossly mismanaged mess. They are already having trouble paying their bills. Letting them dig a deeper hole will ultimately trigger bankruptcy or a State bailout. Neither is acceptable.
Jersey City has caused this project to become a circus of excess and waste with little concern for how the bills will be paid. Ever since the City bought the property in 2018 where the French museum will supposedly be built, there’s been a consultant feeding frenzy. Six years later, there is little to show for it other than City promises to pay a French corporation $30 million for naming rights and other services, and another approximately $10 million in contracts with two dozen or more other consultants. Most of them were selected outside of traditional bidding requirements. Some were the highest bidders and others duplicate services.
Specifically, we respectfully request that you instruct the Department of State to immediately demand a return of the $6 million advance and place the balance in a reserve so it can lapse to the General fund and be redirected. The Department of State’s budget hearing before the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee was canceled, and since it appears it will not be rescheduled, we respectfully request that you respond to this request in writing no later than the last Budget Hearing on May 14.
Sincerely,
Senator Declan O’Scanlon, Jr.
Senator Michael Testa, Jr.
Senator Doug Steinhardt
Senator Carmen F. Amato, Jr.
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