Audit To Examine Decade Of Port Authority Spending
FORT LEE, NJ (AP/WCBS 880) - Officials say an audit will take a closer look at Port Authority employee compensation and why costs are rising to rebuild the World Trade Center.
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New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo ordered the examination as a condition of toll increases they approved last month. It is due to be completed within 90 days.
The agency's commissioners on Thursday said the audit will look to limit money-losing projects and find new revenue sources.
Port Authority chairman David Samson told The Record newspaper the agency has decreased revenues and higher operating expenses.
Christie has criticized spending on the World Trade Center project, saying it has been mismanaged. The cost is projected to be more than $11 billion.
Some speculate that could cost Port Authority executive director Chris Ward his job. Samson said he can't comment on Ward's future, but Ward has said he welcomes the audit.
On Sunday September 18, tolls on the six Port Authority bridges and tunnels went up, as did fares on the PATH rail system.
It now costs $12 for cash customers to cross those bridges and tunnels. E-ZPass customers get a discount.
A New Jersey man has filed a lawsuit against the Port Authority over those hikes, claiming they are discriminating against him because he is poor.
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