Fugate said he doesn't think the state Capitol Preservation Commission can go ahead with the construction of a new privately funded governor's mansion without the legislature's approval.
Especially because state taxpayers already pay for the maintenance of the nearly 100-year-old existing mansion.
"The plans as have been published say that they're going to keep the existing one and figure out what they're going to do with it," Fugate said. "Well, so now I've got insurance on two buildings, I've got utilities on two buildings… additional staff for staffing the buildings, for securing the grounds.'
Fugate wants Attorney General Gentner Drummond to clarify if the commission can go forward with its plan to burden taxpayers without a legislative mandate, as those costs won't be covered by donations.
Fugate points to Senate Bill 162, which ordered the construction of a veterans memorial arch on the State Capitol grounds, as an example of how the process should take place.
"My colleagues here at the Capitol certainly could decide to build a new governor's mansion so that we have two governors' mansions," Fugate said. "I don't know that that makes a whole lot of sense, but that's not what this request is about."
"This request is about who has the authority to make that decision," he said.
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