Suffolk Contract Switch Sparks Political Favoritism Claims

Union leaders and Democratic officials are demanding answers after Suffolk County terminated a nearly two-decade contract with a union-backed construction company and awarded the work to a firm owned by a recently appointed planning commissioner.

The Suffolk County Department of Public Works ended its long-standing relationship with Austin Drywall Corp., based in Bohemia, and moved to award the contract to Renu Contracting & Restoration. The new contractor is owned by Michael VanDenburg, who was appointed to the county Planning Commission last year by Republican Suffolk Executive Ed Romaine.

Democratic Suffolk Legislator Greg Doroski joined union workers outside the county Public Works building in Yaphank on Friday to voice their concerns about the decision. “Austin Drywall Corp. was praised by the County Executive, praised by Majority Leader Nick Caracappa, and had a good record — there are questions that must be answered,” Doroski told reporters.

Union officials are calling the contract award a conflict of interest, pointing to VanDenburg’s position in county government and his history of donations to Republican committees in Suffolk County, according to campaign finance records.

The controversy extends beyond potential political favoritism. Labor leaders claim Suffolk County may have violated its own Apprenticeship Law, which requires contractors on public projects exceeding $250,000 to participate in state-registered apprenticeship programs. These programs are designed to train local workers while saving taxpayers money, since apprentices can legally receive lower wages while learning their trades.

“The county appears to have waived that law,” said union labor leader Vincent Alu. “If we are a nation of laws, those who enforce the law must follow the law, and the county must explain how and why it may have violated its own law.”

Union representatives also raised concerns about prevailing wage compliance. The terminated Austin Drywall contract was described as a massive “on-call” agreement worth millions of dollars that allowed the county to quickly deploy union workers for repairs across Suffolk’s facilities and infrastructure.

Officials accused the county of giving Renu “preferential treatment” by accepting a bid they believe fell below prevailing wage requirements while applying labor standards inconsistently. The exact value of the new contract has not been publicly disclosed.

Democratic Suffolk Legislator Jason Richberg emphasized the local economic impact of the decision. “At a time where we are seeing record numbers of people at food pantries, we don’t want to see our local men and women not in work, we want to see local work done with local people,” he said.

County officials have strongly denied any wrongdoing or political motivation behind the contract change. Charles Bartha, commissioner of the Suffolk Department of Public Works, defended the bidding process.

“This contract was put out to bid in accordance with the provisions of New York State and Suffolk County law,” Bartha said. “The bids were carefully scrutinized, and the contract was awarded to the lowest responsible bidder, as the law requires.”

Bartha stressed that the decision “should not be construed as a negative as to the quality of any other bidder,” though county officials did not explain why they terminated Austin Drywall’s contract despite previous praise for the company’s performance.

Republican sources familiar with the bidding process dismissed the criticism as politically motivated, calling the outrage “all politics.”

The dispute highlights ongoing tensions in Suffolk County government over transparency in contract awards and the balance between cost savings and supporting local union workers. With the county facing budget pressures and infrastructure needs, the outcome of this controversy could influence future contracting decisions and set precedents for political appointees’ business relationships with county government.