Suffolk Drops 20-Year Contractor for Politically Connected Firm

Union leaders and Democratic officials are demanding answers after Suffolk County abruptly terminated a nearly two-decade contract with a Bohemia-based construction company, replacing it with a firm owned by a county Planning Commissioner.

The Suffolk County Department of Public Works ended its longtime relationship with Austin Drywall Corp. last month, awarding the work instead 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 led a Friday protest outside the county Public Works building in Yaphank, joined by dozens of union workers demanding the county reverse its 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 and Democratic legislators called the contract award a clear conflict of interest, pointing to VanDenburg’s government position and his history of donations to Republican committees in Suffolk County, according to campaign finance records.

The controversy extends beyond political connections. Labor leaders claim the 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 train local workers while allowing apprentices to be paid less during their learning period, ultimately saving taxpayers money.

“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 requirements — state-mandated minimum pay rates for public construction projects designed to prevent companies from undercutting worker wages. They accused county officials of giving Renu preferential treatment by accepting a bid they believe fell below prevailing wage standards while applying labor requirements inconsistently.

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 various repair projects throughout Suffolk.

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,” Richberg said.

Suffolk County officials strongly rejected all accusations of wrongdoing, though they did not explain why Austin Drywall Corp.’s contract was terminated despite previous praise from the administration.

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

Bartha emphasized that the decision “should not be construed as a negative as to the quality of any other bidder.”

Republican sources close to the bidding process dismissed the criticism as purely political maneuvering.

The contract dispute highlights ongoing tensions between Suffolk County’s Republican leadership and Democratic opposition, with union jobs and government transparency becoming central issues as both parties position themselves for future elections.