Audit: Thruway Authority Has Improved Toll Collection Accuracy
New York's Thruway Authority generally bills drivers accurately for tolls, according to an audit by Comptroller DiNapoli. The audit identified some exceptions and recommended better monitoring and corrective actions.
“The Thruway Authority has come a long way since it first introduced cashless tolls, but some problems remain,” DiNapoli said. “Even a smaller percentage of unreadable or inaccurate tolls can mean loss of revenue to the state or aggravation for New Yorkers facing incorrect bills. I appreciate the efforts the Authority has undertaken to fix the issues we identified.”
In 2024, the authority reported $1 billion in toll and related revenues, up from $804 million in 2021. E-Z Pass accounts for 95% of all tolls collected in 2024. Comptroller DiNapoli’s previous audit from May 2023 found it needed to improve its collections process.
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Report Highlights Slow Growth of NYC’s Non-Tax Revenues
New York City’s revenues from water and sewer charges, fines and forfeitures, licenses and permits, interest income, rental income and other “miscellaneous revenues” reached an estimated $6.7 billion in fiscal year 2025, 11% higher than in FY 2019, and weaker than the 29% growth over the prior six fiscal years, according to a report released by Comptroller DiNapoli.
“The pandemic significantly disrupted how New York City generates revenue for items such as construction permits, community college fees and taxi licenses, some of which have yet to return to pre-pandemic levels,” DiNapoli said. “A number of miscellaneous revenues that have recently boosted revenue, including interest income, may soften in the coming years. These shifts warrant further study of the city’s many fines, fees, and charges to understand their impact on revenue stability and resident affordability.”
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Latest Fiscal Stress Scores Released
A total of 23 local governments in New York State were designated in fiscal stress for local fiscal years ending in 2024, up from 14 a year ago, with increases in each category of stress, according to a report released by Comptroller DiNapoli. These designations were based on the State Comptroller’s Fiscal Stress Monitoring System (FSMS) scores.
“The number of local governments designated in fiscal stress, while still low, rose over the prior year, as federal pandemic relief funding was winding down,” DiNapoli said. “Local governments now facing volatility in revenue sources and uncertainty from significant shifts in federal spending should remain vigilant and pragmatic when spending and planning for the future.”
Comptroller DiNapoli launched FSMS in 2013 to evaluate fiscal stress for local governments, using indicators based on year-end fund balance, operating deficits, cash-on-hand, short-term borrowing and fixed costs. The system’s fiscal stress scores provide an early warning to local officials about fiscal issues and give the public insight into their communities’ financial condition.
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Comptroller DiNapoli Joins Local Officials at Training School; Staff Honored for Dedicated Service
Comptroller DiNapoli recently joined the New York Council of Mayors in Lake Placid for their Fall Training School. The event provided city and village officials with valuable resources and expertise to help them manage local finances and essential services. During the event, members of the Division of Local Government and School Accountability team received recognition for their dedication and expertise in training local officials throughout the years. Daniel Acquilano, the Manager of the Local Official Training unit, received the NYS Association of City and Village Clerks Distinguished Service Award and Ingrid Otto, an Auditor 2 in the unit, received the New York State Society of Municipal Finance Officer’s Director’s Award.
Florida Man Sentenced to Pay Full Restitution for Theft of Nearly $80,000
Comptroller DiNapoli and Nassau County District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly announced the son of a state pensioner from Long Island was sentenced to five years’ probation and ordered to pay full restitution after being convicted of identity theft in connection with his theft of $79,943 in pension payments sent to his deceased father.
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Former Durhamville Fire Department Treasurer Pleads Guilty to Stealing Over $92,000
Comptroller DiNapoli, Oneida County District Attorney Todd Carville, and New York State Police Superintendent Steven G. James announced that the former treasurer of the Durhamville Fire Department pleaded guilty to stealing over $92,000 from the fire department over a seven-year period.
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M U N I C I P A L A N D S C H O O L A U D I T S
A L S O I N T H E N E W S
- The Capitol Connection - New York State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli
- Report: Trump tax cuts creates financial strain, inequities for New York
- Thruway billing issues found in state comptroller audit
- DiNapoli: More local governments facing fiscal stress
- State comptroller visits Castle Hill small business owners, distributes unclaimed funds
- Former Durhamville Fire Dept. treasurer admits to stealing over $92K
- Florida man sentenced for stealing dead father's pension payments
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