Govs. Chris Christie and Andrew Cuomo vetoed measures passed in the legislatures in both New Jersey and New York that would have made changes to the Port Authority.
Instead, the governors announced they were accepting recommendations made by the Bi-State Special Panel on the Future of the Port Authority. A press release stated:
“At its core these changes call for restructuring the agency’s overall operations, including reorganizing the leadership of the Board of Commissioners and the executive management of the Port Authority with the creation of a single Chief Executive Officer and the modification of the Chairperson’s role. The reorganization accepted by the Governors will also return the Port Authority fully to its original mission — developing and maintaining the world’s largest transportation system and infrastructure.
“The structural reorganization of the Authority will create clear lines of responsibility and accountability that start with its leadership. A single Chief Executive Officer — to be hired as expeditiously as possible based on a national search directed by the Board of Commissioners — will replace the Executive Director and Deputy Executive Director. The current Chair and Vice-Chair roles will be modified in one of two ways. Either the Chair and the Vice Chair positions will be replaced with two Co-Chairs, one recommended by each Governor, for election by the Board of Commissioners, or the chairmanship will be rotated between the two states on an annual basis. Either approach promotes a long-term balance between the policy interests of the respective states, and present a more equitable model to the public stakeholders of the Authority. The CEO and either Co-Chairs or rotating Chair and Vice-Chair will constitute the Office of the Chair, a senior operations committee.
“Organizational changes to the Agency to demand increased accountability is only part of the Special Panel’s recommendations to maintain trust with the public it serves. Governors Christie and Cuomo are embracing initiatives to increase transparency of the Port Authority’s deliberations and operations.”
The move didn’t sit well with some New Jersey lawmakers.
Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg released a statement, saying: “I am gravely disappointed that our governor passed up another opportunity to reform the Port Authority, and that Governor Cuomo did not see the value of enacting these very basic reforms.
“These are changes we advocated long before the George Washington Bridge lane closures. We’ve now seen a breakdown at the agency become a national scandal, top level staffers within state government and the Port Authority resign, and a federal investigation is under way. It is indisputable that the agency needs an overhaul, and comprehensive transparency and accountability standards enshrined in state law. These bills should have served as the foundation for our long-term reform effort.
“The public and legislators in each state have demanded these changes. The New York and New Jersey Legislatures approved the bills unanimously. It is well past time to reform this agency. Delaying this effort any further means the Port Authority will remain vulnerable to the kind of dysfunction and abuse of power that shut down lanes on the world’s busiest bridge and endangered residents for four days last year. It also means the agency can continue to operate as if it is above the law. This inaction is disappointing. Frankly, it raises serious questions about the support for any meaningful and lasting changes at the bistate agency by those at the highest level of state government who are in the position to make it happen.”
Sen. Bob Gordon also reacted, releasing this statement: “I am disappointed and incredibly frustrated by the continued delay of much-needed changes at the Port Authority. This was a historic opportunity to bring the business of the port authority into the light of day and enact meaningful and permanent reforms. Instead, the governors are proposing additional delay.
“The Port Authority’s lax accountability and transparency standards have allowed it to operate in the shadows and to keep the public and the Legislatures of both states from ‘meddling’ in its affairs. As a result, we’ve seen tolls increase to $14 to cross the Hudson River, a process choreographed by lieutenants of the two states’ governors. We’ve seen the Port Authority become synonymous with the Bridgegate scandal, a national black mark on an agency that oversees some of the most important transportation facilities in the region. Recently, we have seen reports that port authority employees are earning over $100,000 in overtime, more than the CEO of the entire organization.
“I will review the recommendations of the special panel, but our legislation should have been the basis for reform at the Port Authority. In addition, it is unclear if the governors’ proposals include key provisions of our reform bill such as whistleblower protections, protections against sweetheart real estate deals, examination by outside auditors, and extension of oversight to the two legislatures. Without these and other provisions of our bill, the measures proposed by the governors will do little to bring the agency out from the shadows.”