Shuttered offices had hundreds of county workers quickly moving records and computers to a dozen other sites while the county executive and the Legislature sparred over the building”™s future. In late 2011, New York State Unified Court System expressed more than displeasure when it let Diana know he must put the county”™s legal system, fragmented by the storm, together again ”“ and quickly.
But dreams of a new county office building have dissolved due to a failure to obtain a super-majority of votes from the Orange County Legislature on May 3. By an 11-10 vote, legislators let Diana know they would not fund the $14 million planning study to start demolition and construction. The building will remain closed and the county will continue to operate services once housed in the Government Center in its different locations until a compromise can be reached.
Many would like to see the building renovated and repaired ”“ others would like to see what they consider an “eyesore” replaced. At the bare minimum, the county must come up with a plan to reunite its court system, fragmented when the twin storms hit the complex.
“I am deeply disappointed by the outcome of today”™s vote,” said Diana in a statement after the tally. “It”™s regrettable that a minority of the Legislature prevented the majority from moving this important project forward. I commend those legislators who had the vision to vote in favor of progress for the benefit of our county and the people we serve.”
“No matter how convenient the Internet, there are some things that must be done in person,” said Roxanne Donnery (D-Highland Falls), a member of the Legislature who cast a nay vote. “The government functions are fragmented and need to be brought together. I don”™t think the original building should have been shut down to begin with.”
The next step? There are several proposals on the table, but none formally introduced by the Legislature.
