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and the high ceiling space for the recreation department. The memo stated that the additional work would require an additional borrowing of $2.2 million. The Supervisor told us this change allowed for the mechanical room to be moved to the second floor, the addition of unfinished space for future offices on the second floor and an increase in ceiling height for the recreation department to allow for a half-court for basketball. However, Town officials were unable to provide us with documentation showing, nor could we find evidence in the Board minutes, that the Board adopted another resolution to effect these changes and increase the estimated cost of the project before soliciting bids or starting the project. However, the October 31, 2016 architectural plans provided to us by the engineer included the additional work and these plans were included in the contract documents provided for contractors to inspect when preparing their bids. Figure 1: Comparison of the Board’s Maximum Cost Estimates with Post-Bid Estimates Board Approved Post-Bid Project Element Maximum Cost Estimate Difference Estimate (May 2016) (January 2017) Repairs and Construction $7,865,045 $11,895,100 $4,030,055 Furnishings and Contingency $1,967,000 $1,551,030 ($415,970) Total Costs $9,832,045 $13,446,130 $3,614,085 Although the initial plan included some first floor unfinished office space,4 we question whether $3.6 million (37 percent) in additional costs over the original estimate was within the overall scope of the original project plan established by the Board and presented to the public. Town officials and the engineer were unable to provide us with an amended budget reflecting the added costs due to these changes. The increase in cost, and the change in plan were documented in the Board minutes only after the bids were received. Additionally, we found no evidence that the engineer’s memo explaining the increase in cost was made available to taxpayers, because it was not documented in the Board’s record of proceedings. In addition, the post-bid project estimates and subsequently updated budget were not prepared in the same itemized format as the original estimate. For example, the original estimate itemized the different elements of the building, thereafter updated estimates were presented based on total bid amounts for each contractor’s trade.5 4 First floor cubicles and a mechanical room. 5 General, mechanical, electrical, plumbing and fire protection contractors. 4 Of f ic e of t he New York State Comptroller