Beginning in September 2o23, owner of a local plumbing company, Sam Dahdal, began filing various complaints against the Commissioner of the Yonkers building department, Sam Borrelli. Dahdal’s complaints, ranging from unfair permit approval processes to unpaid invoices, went unanswered. However, a potential resolution came with the unexpected retirement of Borrelli in December.
Borrelli boosted, then booted?
Following the departure of Vincent Pici in 2021, Mayor Mike Spano wished to appoint Sam Borrelli as Commissioner of the Department of Housing and Buildings. However to do so, the City Council needed to eliminate the mandate for that office to hold a Professional Engineer license. Some community members expressed concerns about removing this very common requirement. Critics asserted that Professional Engineers uphold ethical and competent engineering practices necessary for public safety and good government. Despite these concerns, the Council ultimately lifted the license requirement and Borrelli assumed the leadership role.
But, concerns over Borrelli’s potential conduct were not new. In 2013, Yonkers Inspector General Kitley Covill investigated then-DPW Deputy Commissioner Sam Borrelli’s actions following Hurricane Sandy. Borrelli oversaw the approval of certain work orders and the IG found improper processes in the chaotic environment following the storm. As reported, Borrelli eschewed any sort of checks and balances present in the regular protocol to award city jobs to his own son’s company. Therefore, the IG included a recommendation that “no city employee approves work to be performed by a relative.”
After many years in municipal government, Borrelli’s retirement unexpectedly came at the end of last year with near-zero acknowledgement. Deputy Mayor Anthony Landi stepped in as his interim replacement to lead the search for a new, permanent commissioner of the building department.
Borrelli Boxed Out Dahdal
Sam Dahdal is a local plumber working in Yonkers since 1976. Shortly after Borrelli became Commissioner, Dahdal felt his business was targeted. Through a litany of emails to City Council Members, Corporation Counsel, and the Inspector General, he documented perceived unequal treatment of his business under Borrelli’s tenure.
The first pressing issue that Dahdal quantified was a sudden delay in approval of his permits. A clear delineation appears between the 1-2 day approvals Dahdal grew accustomed to, as compared to the weeks he waited under Borrelli. The chart below outlines Dahdal’s permit approval durations before and after Borrelli became Commissioner.
Dahdal’s Permit Approval Time Before Borrelli
Dahdal Permit Approval Time After Borrelli
However, not all permits faced increased delays under Sam Borrelli’s leadership of the building department. A company owned by his son, Virgil Borrelli, always received speedy approvals. That company is not a direct competitor with Dahdal as it doesn’t maintain the proper license for plumbing work. Therefore, it must partner on jobs with licensed plumbers. In the following chart, you can see his permit approval times and Borrelli’s common partners like Costas Construction and Spano Bros. Inc.
Permit Approval Times for Virgil Borrelli
It appears evident from the three tables above that the building department did not approve Sam Dahdal’s permits as fast as other contractors–notably those of the commissioner’s son. In his complaint, Dahdal further cited that permit approvals used to go through the plumbing division. However, Borrelli took over that process himself after becoming commissioner.
Persistent punishment
These permit delays followed a years-long campaign of abuse by Borrelli, says Dahdal. Through multiple letters sent last year by the law firm representing him, Meir Moza & Associates demands payment for Dahdal’s invoices dating back to 2012. At that time, Sam Borrelli served as the Deputy Commissioner of the Department of Public Works. From the 19 invoices listed in the demand, it requests the sum of $130,936.33 paid within 14 business days. The City did not deliver any payment and Dahdal’s attorneys summarize their perception of the situation.
Said actions by Mr. Borrelli is an attempt to exploit and extort [Dahdal] for free labor and work while accordingly, acting in a vindictive manner against [Dahdal] who, coincidentally, happen to be business [competitors] of Mr. Borrelli’s son.
While Sam Dahdal has yet to file any legal action against the City of Yonkers, a lawyer we spoke with suggests civil damages may be warranted. Grounds for a lawsuit could rest on one cause of action, “Tortious Interference With Advantageous Business Relationship.” For this, the question becomes, did Sam Borrelli, as the issuer of permits, harm Sam Dahdal’s business for the sole purpose of spiting Dahdal himself? From his own account, Dahdal’s business revenues decreased over 60% as a direct result of these permit delays.
To date, Sam Dahdal feels his complaints to City Hall regarding the conduct of Sam Borrelli as Commissioner the Department of Housing and Buildings have gone unanswered. However, officials did reply to let him know that “effective December 31, 2023, Sam Borrelli will no longer be employed by the City of Yonkers.”
** Update **
The City of Yonkers responded to our questions on this matter. Regarding the $130k payment demanded by Dahdal, the city commits that “overdue invoices will be paid through the past six years. Anything over that time period is past the statute of limitations.”
The existence and progress of any investigation of Dahdal’s ethics complaint is not presently disclosed by the IG. But, The Yonkers Ledger will continue with a more direct request to that office.
And as for the search for a new Commissioner of the Department of Housing and Buildings, the City affirms that “candidates will be evaluated based on technical, management and professional, educational experience.” Though, it seems that the explicit requirement for a Professional Engineer license remains absent.
