Extreme Weather and Disaster Response Costs Rise in New York
A new report from Comptroller DiNapoli found the frequency of severe weather in the state is growing, taking a toll on New York’s residents, property and economy. While New York is investing to reduce those impacts through the Clean Water, Clean Air and Green Jobs Bond Act, DiNapoli warned that the federal government should expand its funding and efforts, not claw back funds and leave states and communities vulnerable to extreme weather and flooding.
“Extreme weather events are happening more and more often and inflicting financial and emotional stress on New Yorkers from loss of life to property destruction,” DiNapoli said. “From flooded subway tunnels and roadways to destroyed and damaged homes, the consequences are dire and growing. Fortunately, New Yorkers approved the Clean Water, Clean Air and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act, which will help pay for resilience investments, but the state cannot shoulder the whole cost burden itself. The federal government cannot abandon the states in preparing for and responding to disasters.”
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Recent Federal Actions Will Have Significant Impact on Higher Education in NY
Impacts from the recently enacted federal budget law, upcoming appropriations for federal fiscal year 2026 and executive actions since January 2025 risk undermining the strength and competitiveness of New York’s higher education sector and the social and economic benefits it generates, according to a new analysis from Comptroller DiNapoli.
“New York has long benefited from outstanding institutions of higher education that serve as anchors for our communities, employing tens of thousands of people, conducting world-class research and development, attracting new residents, training the workforce and bringing vibrancy to neighborhoods,” DiNapoli said. “Federal action on student aid, international student enrollment, and support for research threatens the ability of these institutions to serve as employers and innovators. It also impacts the ability of students to afford tuition. These threats pose financial challenges to the institutions and economic challenges to communities.”
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Local Sales Tax Collections Up 4.3% Over Prior Year Through September 2025
Local government sales tax collections totaled $18.2 billion from January to September 2025, an increase of 4.3% ($747 million) compared to the same period last year, according to the quarterly sales tax report released by Comptroller DiNapoli. Growth so far this year is higher than the 3.8% average growth rate seen from January to September for the 2010 to 2019 period of recovery and expansion following the Great Recession.
“New York’s local sales tax revenues rose through September compared to last year, but federal policy actions create significant fiscal risk for municipalities amid signs of a slowing economy,” said DiNapoli. “Local officials who rely on these revenues should take advantage of the financial planning tools and guidance my office offers to help them bolster their fiscal resilience.”
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Comptroller DiNapoli Celebrates Italian Heritage Month
Comptroller DiNapoli celebrated Italian Heritage Month at the Italian American Museum in New York City. The evening honored Italian-New Yorkers whose contributions and community leadership enriches the state and makes our communities and New York stronger.
Honored at the celebration were:
- Honorable Angie Carpenter, Supervisor, Town of Islip
- Biagio Isgro, Jr., NYS OSDIA Immediate Past President
- Monsignor Hilary C. Franco, Prelate of his Holiness and Advisor to the Permanent Observer Mission of the Holy See to the United Nations.
- Thomas Quackenbush, President Teamsters Local 294
- Angelo Vivolo, President of the National Columbus Education Foundation
- Vincent F. Pitta, Managing Partner and Chairman of Pitta LLP
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Tesla Investors Should Vote Against Musk's Trillion Dollar Pay and Director Nominees
Comptroller DiNapoli, trustee of the New York State Common Retirement Fund, wrote to fellow Tesla Inc. shareholders urging them to reject Elon Musk’s trillion dollar proposed pay package for a lack of defined goals and to vote against all directors standing for reelection at Tesla’s Nov. 6 Annual Meeting, citing their failure to provide independent oversight and accountability. DiNapoli also encouraged shareholders to support his proposal to amend Tesla’s new bylaw that severely restricts shareholder derivative lawsuits, following the board’s bait-and-switch scheme to shield itself from potential legal accountability.
“Elon Musk’s latest pay proposal is indefensible in both scale and design,” DiNapoli said. “It would hand him another massive fortune while severely watering down the holdings of every other shareholder. This pay proposal is not pay for performance — it’s pay for power. Musk has proven to be distracted by his many outside ventures, and it’s unclear how many more billions of dollars will change that. Tesla’s shareholders cannot trust this board to design sound pay practices based on its past record, nor can we trust it to exercise true independence and accountability.”
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Couple Charged with Stealing Over $2 Million by Submitting False Medicaid Provider Claims
Comptroller DiNapoli and Orange County District Attorney David M. Hoovler announced that a Town of New Windsor couple were arrested and charged with Grand Larceny in the First Degree in connection with a scheme to defraud the New York State Medicaid program of millions of dollars.
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Former Vernon Center Fire Department Treasurer Sentenced to Prison for Theft of Over $300,000
The former Treasurer of the Vernon Center Fire Department pled guilty to grand larceny in the second degree and was sentenced to serve one to three years in state prison and ordered to pay full restitution for stealing more than $300,000 from the department, Comptroller DiNapoli, Oneida County District Attorney Todd Carville, and New York State Police Superintendent Steven G. James announced.
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M U N I C I P A L & S C H O O L A U D I T S
- Port Ewen Fire District – Financial Management
- Schonowe Volunteer Fire Company, Inc. – Audit Follow-Up
- Montrose Fire District – Claims Auditing
- Franklin Square Union Free School District – Website Transparency
- North Salem Central School District – Audit Follow-Up
A L S O I N T H E N E W S
- Long Island faces devastation from climate change, severe storms, NYS report warns
- Elon Musk's $1 trillion pay deal draws ire of labor unions, others as shareholder vote nears
- "Largest Medicaid fraud scheme ever prosecuted" NY couple accused of stealing nearly $3M
- Vernon Center fire chief criticizes sentence given to former treasurer
- Finger Lakes colleges could face major strain under federal higher ed funding cuts
- Local sales tax collections in New York up 4.3% so far this year, report says
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