State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli's Weekly News - Audit Highlights Opportunities to Strengthen Apprenticeship Programs

 

Comptroller DiNapoli Cites Opportunities to Enhance Value and Reach of State Apprenticeship Programs

New York State’s over 900 registered apprenticeship programs provide thousands of people with paid, hands-on training in skilled, in-demand trades, ranging from information technology to health care. A new audit released by Comptroller DiNapoli highlights the potential of these programs but found key areas for improvements at the Department of Labor which oversees them.

“Apprenticeship programs open doors for many New Yorkers to access well-paid jobs that become careers, while helping businesses and unions train the workforce they need,” said DiNapoli. “My auditors identified where improvements are needed, and the Department of Labor’s planned response should lead to a speedier review of applications, strengthened monitoring of programs, improved apprenticeship data and expanded trade opportunities. I commend Labor Commissioner Roberta Reardon and her team for their efforts in promoting New York’s apprenticeship programs.”

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Local Sales Tax Collections Total $11.9 Billion in First Half of 2025, up 3.7% Over Prior Year

Local government sales tax collections totaled $11.9 billion in the first half of 2025, an increase of 3.7% ($423 million) compared to the same period last year, according to a report released by Comptroller DiNapoli. Year-over-year growth in collections during the first half of 2025 almost doubled that for the same period last year (1.9%) and was nearly the same as the average growth rate for the January to June period from 2010 to 2019 during the recovery and expansion following the Great Recession.

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Comptroller DiNapoli's Statement on the Rollback of EPA Climate Regulations

"Rolling back the EPA's climate regulations is a reckless act. Ignoring overwhelming scientific evidence on the growing danger of climate change created by greenhouse gas emissions will put New Yorkers’ lives and property in greater jeopardy. We've already seen the deadly consequences of rising temperatures on our communities. Undoing the federal government's ability to limit emissions will only ensure it gets worse." Read the New York Times article. 

MUNICIPAL & SCHOOL AUDITS

• Village of Addison: Former Clerk-Treasurer’s Misappropriation of Funds; Board Oversight; Payroll
• Town of Lodi
• Village of Herkimer
• Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk Central School District
• Chazy Union Free School District
• Commack Union Free School District
• East Bloomfield Central School District
• Evergreen Charter School

A L S O   I N   T H E   N E W S

• LIRR has ways to go in adopting audit recommendations, says state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli
• The Editorial Board: SNAP cuts will undermine health and create more poverty throughout New York
• Comptroller: Local sales tax collections neared $12 billion in the first half of 2025
• DiNapoli: State Labor Dept. needs to strengthen its oversight of New York’s apprenticeship programs
• Addison audits uncover years of payroll fraud and weak oversight

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P O S T   O F   T H E   W E E K