Could Thompson Park pool project still be stopped?

WATERTOWN, N.Y. (WWNY) - Watertown mayoral candidate Jeff Smith, if elected, says he would try to stop the Thompson Park pool and bathhouse project. But he says only if it's possible, come January when a new council is seated.

Smith says if there is a feasible economic way the city can save money by not proceeding with the project, he would look at trying to stop it.

The city broke ground on the $3.1 million Thompson Park pool and bathhouse project on Friday, but Smith says if construction isn't too far along come January and if he were elected, he'd look at trying to stop the project.

"If no work is done to the pool and the contract allows us to get out of that contract at a minimal penalty, then that would be better than spending millions of dollars from your fund balance," he said.

Smith believes if the front runners in June's primary, Jesse Roshia and Sarah Compo, win the 2 council seats up for grabs in November, he may have the votes to stop it.

Both Roshia and Compo have not supported the pool, but they say they are not ready to dive into that. They both say there are too many unknowns.

"There are a lot of what ifs - how far is construction going to be in January, what is the financial situation of the city going to be at then, who is going to be on council? So I don't really think that is a question we can even really evaluate at this point," said Compo.

City council voted 3 to 2 to dip into the city's savings to pay for the project. Council Member Lisa Ruggiero was one of the supporters and warned against trying to stop the project at Friday's ground breaking ceremony.

"The only message I have for that is a contract is a contract and unless you want the city to be sued and face litigation for doing that and denying a local business the work they had been contracted to do than I would suggest this is definitely going to be moving forward," she said.

Council Member and mayoral candidate Cody Horbacz called threatening to stop the project midway through construction "simply irrational." He said the move would result in severe financial penalties and cost the city its reputation. He said, "While my opponent continues to live in the past, I am looking to the future and what can be accomplished when we work together."

As for the other candidate on the ballot, Allison Crossman, she has not supported the project thus far, but says she would not try to stop it if she were elected.

"I believe that if I'm elected mayor, it's my responsibility to uphold the contracts and agreements that were made by the council and if the next mayor were to be elected and to chose to terminate that agreement I believe it's a denial of democracy to the citizens in the city of Watertown," she said.

Crossman says her concerns with stopping the project are she believes it would put a financial strain on taxpayers and would hurt the city’s relationship with contractors.

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