Scott still cruising for NYC Ferry

City Controller Scott Stringer is not backing down from his crusade against the heavily-subsidized NYC Ferry service.

For the second time in as many months, Stringer last week returned a proposal by the city’s nonprofit Economic Development Corp. to spend $82 million on 19 boats.

While the controller’s office does not have the authority to nix the contract, the prospective mayoral candidate alleges a lack of transparency in the way the EDC does business with the ferry’s operator, Hornblower.

Part of Stringer’s gripe with the $82 million price is how the boats’ value is calculated.

Sixteen boats being bought are already in service, and the EDC says they lose 1% to 3% of value annually — a previously agreed upon rate based on federal standards for entirely different models of boats.

After the contract was returned the first time, the EDC provided slightly more detail into the nature of its arrangement with Hornblower.

EDC spokeswoman Stephanie Baez called Stringer’s ferry investigation a goose chase, and noted that Hornblower reduced its operational fees in order to justify the cost of the boat purchase.

Still, Stringer’s office does not believe the response was enough, and sent the contract back again last Friday.

“Taxpayers deserve to have confidence in the integrity of our contracting process,” said Stringer. “EDC has yet to provide the full range of information, supporting documents and analyses necessary for our office to properly assess this contract.”

The move came days after Stringer called for the city’s Department of Transportation to take over operation of NYC Ferry, which he said would provide more transparency into its operations.

Hornblower was picked as the provider for the NYC Ferry following a 2015 request for proposal, beating competitor NY Waterway, which does ferry trips between New York and New Jersey.