Christine Sculti
Calls for Independent Investigation, Says it is Time for Serious Leadership
Christine Sculti of Mamaroneck, Republican candidate in the February 11th special election for Westchester County Executive, says ineptitude and malfeasance on the part of Ken Jenkins is responsible for the crash and burn of the operating agreement between Standard Amusements and Westchester County. Sculti is calling for an independent investigation into this monumental failure of leadership that will stick already-burdened county taxpayers with a potential $57 million tab.
“The recent news that Standard Amusements is terminating its management agreement for Playland is shocking enough,” said Sculti, “What’s totally unacceptable is that Ken Jenkins has kept this information secret since Thanksgiving of last year when it should have been openly discussed during the budget process, particularly since there may be an enormous $57 million hit to the taxpayers for this monumental screw-up.”
“Standard’s basis for the termination is that the county did not “substantially complete” 70% of the capital improvements by the April 30, 2024 deadline,” Sculti continued. “Shockingly, the county apparently acknowledged its failure to Standard and then covered up the news until this week that Standard was terminating the deal.”
Sculti noted that the county and Standard entered into a management agreement in 2015 that was unanimously approved by the Board of Legislators. It required both Standard and the county to invest millions in capital improvements, new rides and attractions, and a profit-sharing arrangement. The Latimer-Jenkins administration immediately reneged on the deal, spent more than $5 million in legal fees and lost in federal court. They then negotiated the current agreement with Standard in 2022 while Jenkins was Deputy County Executive and chaired the County’s Capital Projects committee in the absence of the county executive.
“Jenkins knew what the deal required the county to do and then sat by and did nothing while the county failed to meet the benchmarks in the agreement,” Sculti said. “He either wanted the deal to fail at any cost or was grossly incompetent. Both disqualify him from being the next county executive.”
Playland is a significant contributor to the Westchester economy. It directly employs 40 full-time, 50 part-time and 850 seasonal employees. Indirectly, it contributes to almost all slices of the job market from construction to manufacturing to trades to professional services.
“The agreement with Standard Amusements and needed capital investments by the county government were supposed to bring Playland back as a waterfront destination for all to enjoy,” Sculti said. “Instead, Playland’s future is more uncertain than ever, taxpayers may be on the hook for more than $57 million, increasing by 18% a year as of May, and hundreds of young people who look forward to a summer job in a fun environment may be disappointed. If elected, I will make it a priority to fix the Jenkins’ mess and get Playland back on track.”
