To the Editor:
Are Riverhead residents getting a good deal? It’s a question that keeps resurfacing, and each time, the answer seems to slip further out of reach.
When public projects are awarded without open bidding, the transparency that taxpayers deserve vanishes behind closed doors. Yet, time and again, that’s exactly what’s happening in Riverhead and the common thread is the town’s repeated reliance on one man: Joseph Petrocelli.
Petrocelli’s name has quietly appeared on an expanding list of town projects, often without a competitive process. He’s been hired to demolish buildings for the town square, appointed as general manager for the Town Hall project, selected as master developer for the town square redevelopment, and most recently tapped for upgrades to the town justice court. Each of these projects involves public money, yet residents have been offered little clarity on how or why these decisions were made or whether other qualified firms were even considered.
Competitive bidding isn’t just a bureaucratic formality; it’s a guardrail against cronyism and waste. It ensures taxpayers get the best value for their money. Without it, there’s no pressure to control costs or justify prices, meaning Riverhead residents may be paying more than necessary for work that could have been done better or cheaper. When competition is removed, taxpayers lose twice, once in higher costs, and again in diminished public trust.
Supporters of these decisions including Town Supervisor Hubbard might argue that efficiency matters, that Petrocelli “gets things done.” But public confidence depends not only on what gets built but on how it gets built — openly, fairly, and in the public’s best interest.
So, are Riverhead residents getting a good deal? Given the lack of transparency, competition, and fiscal accountability, we may never know. And that uncertainty is precisely what erodes faith in local government.
Laura Jens-Smith
Laurel
Editor’s note: Laura Jens-Smith is a former Riverhead Town supervisor and currently serves as chairperson of the Riverhead Town Democratic Committee.
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