WHITE PLAINS, NY – Lenny Lolis, candidate for Mayor of White Plains, announced today that a major citizen-led lawsuit will be filed by Monday against the City of White Plains, Mayor Tom Roach, Councilman Justin Brasch, and the entire Common Council. The lawsuit will charge that their catastrophic failure to protect the public led directly to the October 15th parking garage collapse and continues to leave every resident in a state of imminent danger.

 

"The lawsuit that will be filed on Monday is a tragic, but necessary, step to hold this administration accountable for its complete betrayal of the public trust,” said Lenny Lolis. "The collapse of the Westchester One garage was not an accident—it was the direct result of seven years of gross negligence. Tom Roach and Justin Brasch were given explicit, written warnings from the State Comptroller that our city's infrastructure was at risk. They did nothing. Now, at least 40 other garages are ticking time bombs. Every resident, every visitor, every child in this city remains in clear and present danger because of their staggering incompetence and indifference.”

The forthcoming lawsuit will expose a shocking record of failure and indifference by the Roach-Brasch administration, which has knowingly endangered the entire city.

What the Lawsuit Will Expose: The Roach-Brasch Record of Failure

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WILLFUL NEGLECT: The lawsuit will show that the Roach-Brasch administration completely ignored two separate New York State Comptroller audits (in 2017 and 2018) that explicitly warned city officials of “deficient building inspection procedures” and the “risk of undetected safety hazards.” They knew the danger and chose to do nothing.

A CITY IN DANGER: The legal action will detail how, today, at least forty other privately-owned parking garages in White Plains are operating illegally without state-mandated safety inspections. The city has known about these violations for years and has done nothing to enforce the law, leaving thousands of people parking in potentially unsafe structures every single day. Which garage is next?

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PAY-TO-PLAY POLITICS? The lawsuit will highlight evidence that Councilman Justin Brasch, a landlord-tenant attorney now running for Mayor, accepted substantial campaign contributions from the owner of the collapsed garage, Argent Ventures. This raises serious questions about whether powerful developers received special treatment while public safety was ignored.

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SHOCKING INDIFFERENCE: The lawsuit will underscore the administration’s priorities. The day after the collapse—while residents feared for their safety and dozens of cars lay crushed—the Roach-Brasch-led Common Council ignored the crisis in their public meeting. Instead of taking emergency action, they approved street closures for a “Blocktoberfest” event.

 

"This lawsuit will finally bring the truth to light, but we cannot wait for the courts to force this administration to do its job," Lolis continued. "I am demanding that Mayor Roach and the Council act today. Order an immediate, emergency safety audit of every single parking structure in this city. Any garage that poses a threat must be closed until it is made safe. As Mayor, my first act will be to clean house, fully fund our Building Department, end the pay-to-play culture, and post all inspection reports online for every resident to see. The Roach-Brasch era of secrecy and neglect will end. Your safety will be my number one priority."

The Lolis for Mayor campaign urges all residents to demand accountability from Mayor Roach, Councilman Brasch, and the Common Council for putting our entire community at risk. The safety of our city is on the line.

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THE GARAGE SCANDAL: EIGHT YEARS OF WARNINGS IGNORED

A State Warning. A Council That Knew. A City Now Paying the Price.

In December 2017, New York State’s Deputy Comptroller Gabriel F. Deyo sent a formal audit to Mayor Tom Roach and the White Plains Common Council after reviewing how the city handled its municipal parking garages. The findings were not minor; they were a direct warning about public safety.

 

"Parking Structures in the City do not have regular structural inspections by firms experienced in structural inspections."
— New York State Office of the Comptroller, December 2017 Report

Why this matters: This was not a routine audit. It was a public safety alert. The state’s fiscal watchdog found that White Plains had no consistent inspection program for its parking garages. That meant for years, the city operated without verifying that the places where thousands of people park every day were structurally sound.

A 90-Day Deadline and a Missed Opportunity

The Comptroller gave the City 90 days to submit a Corrective Action Plan to fix the problem and required the city to make that plan public.

 

"We encourage the Council to make this plan available for public review in the Clerk’s Office."
— Office of the State Comptroller, 2017

Why this matters: The report was issued in December 2017, with the response period extending into the first months of 2018 — the exact time Justin Brasch began serving on the Common Council. Even though he did not receive the original letter, he was in office while the City was required to respond. That means he was directly involved in the window when the city was supposed to act, review the findings, and ensure public transparency. He cannot claim ignorance, because the corrective process and council discussion happened under his watch. The state demanded transparency and accountability, yet the city delivered neither.

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A Capital Improvement Plan Built on Sand

One of the most damaging findings from the audit revealed that even the city’s infrastructure budget, its Capital Improvement Plan (CIP), was built without accurate data.

 

"The Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) created by City officials is not tied to regular inspections because they do not occur."
— Office of the State Comptroller, 2017

Why this matters: The CIP is supposed to guide how White Plains spends millions on maintenance and safety upgrades. The state found that those plans were being made without current inspection data, meaning the city had no real understanding of what needed repair. In other words, the city was budgeting taxpayer money without knowing what was broken. Brasch and the Council approved those budgets anyway. That is not oversight; that is negligence.

The Warnings Became Reality

The very problems identified by the State Comptroller in 2017 are now visible all over White Plains.

 

1. The Hale Avenue Garage Collapse

In October 2025, a parking garage near Hale Avenue and South Broadway partially collapsed, crushing multiple vehicles and forcing emergency crews to close the structure. Fortunately, no one was injured, but it exposed what happens when inspection and maintenance are ignored.

Why this matters: The collapse was not random. The State Comptroller warned eight years ago that the city was failing to conduct regular structural inspections. The same neglect that was documented in 2017 turned into a real-world safety failure in 2025.

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2. The Galleria Garage Shutdown

Soon after, the Galleria parking garage was closed due to safety concerns as inspectors found serious structural deficiencies.

Why this matters: The Galleria closure shows that this is not an isolated issue. It is a citywide failure of inspection and maintenance oversight. Multiple facilities have now been deemed unsafe because White Plains never established the routine inspections the State required years ago.

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3. The 40 Uninspected Garages

A CBS News investigation reported that more than 40 city-owned garages in White Plains had not been inspected for structural safety, echoing the same pattern the State identified back in 2017.

Why this matters: When both state and media investigations, eight years apart, identify the same issue, it means the city never fixed the root problem. Justin Brasch has been on the Council for that entire period. This is not coincidence; it is continuity of neglect.

The Pattern Is Clear

2017: The State warned that White Plains garages were not being inspected.
2018: Brasch was on the Council as the City prepared its required response.
The Capital Improvement Plan was created without inspection data, leaving safety risks unchecked.
2025: The Hale Avenue garage collapsed, the Galleria garage was closed, and CBS confirmed 40 uninspected city-owned garages.
Today: The same problem the State flagged eight years ago remains unresolved.

Why this matters: These events are not isolated. They are the result of years of inaction and failed oversight. The State warned. The Council knew. The public is now paying the price.

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Leadership Means Action, Not Excuses

Justin Brasch was on the Council when the State’s corrective period began. He was there when budgets were approved without inspection data. And he is still there now, as garages collapse and facilities close across the city.

Why this matters: A leader does not get to claim ignorance when the evidence was delivered to his desk and the responsibility was in his hands. The Comptroller’s audit, the garage collapse, the Galleria closure, and the CBS findings all point to one conclusion: White Plains was warned, and Justin Brasch did nothing that prevented this.

White Plains does not need leaders who wait for collapse. It needs leaders who fix problems before people get hurt.

 

“The record is clear: Brasch did not lead. He looked the other way.”

White Plains deserves better.

Lenny Lolis Saw It Coming

While Justin Brasch dismissed concerns, Lenny Lolis was the only candidate talking about infrastructure and accountability long before disaster struck. At a White Plains Council of Neighborhood Associations meeting earlier this year, standing beside Brasch, Lenny said:

 

“White Plains is at a crossroads. Our infrastructure is crumbling. Many municipal buildings are in disrepair. I’ll launch a transparent plan with the Department of Public Works to assess every facility, prioritize repairs, and ensure taxpayer dollars are spent wisely.”

Rather than take that seriously, Brasch laughed and challenged Lenny to name a single infrastructure problem. Lenny didn’t hesitate. He cited the city’s parking garages, Fire Station 2, and the White Plains Public Library—all examples of facilities in visible decline.

Months later, his warnings were proven right. Garages are collapsing, public buildings are deteriorating, and residents are asking why nothing was done sooner.

Lenny Lolis showed leadership, foresight, and responsibility. He was focused on prevention while others mocked the problem. White Plains needs leadership that listens to warnings before lives and tax dollars are put at risk.