Chief Financial Officer and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Alex Sink on Monday said her office will investigate the circumstances surrounding the construction of the new First District Court of Appeal (DCA) building near the Southwood development in southeastern Tallahassee.
The building has come under fire from critics following reports in the St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald of the $48 million building now nearing completion.
In a letter to Department of Management Services Secretary Linda South, Sink said she plans to conduct a comprehensive audit of DMS’ fixed capital outlay program as it relates to construction of the new courthouse, which includes granite countertops and opulent furnishings.
The audit will be led by Mark Merry, Bureau Chief of Auditing, and conducted by Bill Dubose, financial administrator.
“If the Legislature approved the spending of scarce state funds on palatial accommodations at a single courthouse, the people of Florida have a right to know how this situation came about and just how much it’s costing them,” Sink said in a statement.
The News Service of Florida
