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Saturday, September 29, 2018
Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. Invites you to The Official Bronx Celebration of Italian-American Heritage & Culture Month “Mese della Cultura Italiana”
MAYOR DE BLASIO AND CHANCELLOR CARRANZA ANNOUNCE NYC STUDENTS CONTINUE TO OUTPERFORM NY STATE ON ENGLISH EXAMS AND CONTINUE TO CLOSE GAP ON MATH EXAMS
Mayor Bill de Blasio and Schools Chancellor Richard A. Carranza announced that New York City students are outperforming New York State on State English exams, and are continuing to close the gap with the State on State math exams. New York City students outperformed the State on State English exams for the first time ever in 2016 and have now done so for three years in a row.
In 2018, 46.7 percent of New York City students met proficiency standards in English and 42.7 percent of students met the standards in math. By comparison, 45.2 percent of all New York State students met proficiency standards in English and 44.5 percent met proficiency standards in math.
“We came into office to shake the foundation of a system that neglected too many students, parents, teachers and schools,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “We now have a school system that is steadily improving before our eyes. We’ve seen steady gains across our students’ State math and English exams, proving that equity and excellence go hand in hand. I salute our students on their progress.”
“Our students’ performance on these exams is one measure of the strength of New York City schools – the hard work of our students, and the dedication and support of our teachers, staff, and families,” said Schools Chancellor Richard A. Carranza. “Along with record-high graduation and college enrollment rates and progress on our Equity & Excellence for All agenda, these scores are indicative of the sustained progress we have made in classrooms, schools and districts across all five boroughs. We have much more work to do to close opportunity gaps, and we will continue our push to deliver the equitable and excellent education that every New York City public school student deserves.”
New York City schools are the strongest they’ve ever been across multiple measures, including:
The highest-ever graduation rate – 74.3 percent of the Class of 2017.
The lowest-ever dropout rate – 7.8 percent of the Class of 2017.
The highest-ever postsecondary enrollment rate – 57 percent of the Class of 2016.
The highest-ever number of New York City students taking and passing Advanced Placement exams and the SAT exam.
New York City students’ performance on State exams goes hand-in-hand with these gains, and reflects investments in the Mayor and Chancellor’s Equity and Excellence for All agenda.
Starting in spring 2018, the New York State Education Department reduced the number of testing days from three to two per exam. Because of this and other changes to the State exams in 2018, the New York State Education Department has advised that 2018 results should not be compared to 2017 results. Therefore, our key findings focus on overall proficiency comparisons between New York City students and their peers in the rest of the State, because all students took the same exams in 2018:
New York City students outperformed New York State on English, with 46.7 percent of students meeting proficiency standards, compared to the State’s 45.2 percent. This is the third year in a row that New York City students have outperformed their State peers on English, with the difference increasing each time. This year, the difference increased from 0.8 percentage points to 1.5 percentage points.
New York City students continued to close the gap with New York State on the State math exams, from 2.4 percentage points to 1.8 percentage points.
Prior to the test revisions, New York City students’ English and math results had increased every year for four years. English results improved in each of the City’s 32 community school districts for four years in a row.
Below are 2018 results by grade and demographic:
Overall Results by Grade:
| English | Math | |||||
| Grade | 2018 # Tested | 2018 % L3+4 | Grade | 2018 # Tested | 2018 % L3+4 | |
| 3 | 67325 | 50.6 | 3 | 68732 | 52.2 | |
| 4 | 67656 | 49.4 | 4 | 68895 | 46.4 | |
| 5 | 68524 | 38 | 5 | 69433 | 41.7 | |
| 6 | 65208 | 49 | 6 | 66041 | 39.9 | |
| 7 | 65334 | 42.7 | 7 | 65783 | 39.8 | |
| 8 | 63215 | 50.8 | 8 | 49766 | 33.2 | |
| All | 397262 | 46.7 | All | 388650 | 42.7 | |
Overall Results by Demographic:
| English | Math | ||||||||
| Demographic Subgroup |
2018 # Tested | 2018 % L3+4 | Demographic Subgroup | 2018 # Tested | 2018 % L3+4 | ||||
| Asian | 72910 | 67.2 | Asian | 70558 | 72.2 | ||||
| Black | 87615 | 34 | Black | 85030 | 25.4 | ||||
| Hispanic | 163699 | 36 | Hispanic | 162336 | 30.3 | ||||
| White | 64178 | 66.5 | White | 62261 | 63.6 | ||||
| Current ELL | 51739 | 9.9 | Current ELL | 58651 | 18 | ||||
| SWD | 86462 | 15.8 | SWD | 84900 | 15.4 | ||||
3.4 percent of New York City students refused to take English exams and 3.9 percent refused to take math. A total of 19,041 students, or 4.4 percent, refused either exam. Last year, 4.0 percent of students refused either exam. Statewide, 18 percent of students refused to test in 2018.
Families are now able to view their students’ scores online via the NYC Schools Account (NYCSA). For information on NYCSA registration, families can visit the NYC Schools Account page. Families can reach out to their parent coordinator for additional support in accessing their students’ scores.
Today’s results demonstrate the City’s progress on the Mayor and Chancellor’s Equity and Excellence for All agenda. Together, the Equity and Excellence for All initiatives are building a pathway to success in college and careers for all students. Our schools are starting earlier – free, full-day, high-quality education for three-year-olds and four-year-olds through 3-K for All and Pre-K for All. They are strengthening foundational skills and instruction earlier – Universal Literacy so that every student is reading on grade level by the end of 2nd grade; and Algebra for All to improve elementary- and middle-school math instruction and ensure that all 8th graders have access to algebra. They are offering students more challenging, hands-on, college and career-aligned coursework – Computer Science for All brings 21st-century computer science instruction to every school, and AP for All will give all high school students access to at least five Advanced Placement courses. Along the way, they are giving students and families additional support through College Access for All, Single Shepherd, and investment in Community Schools. Efforts to create more diverse and inclusive classrooms, including Equity & Excellence for All: Diversity in New York City Public Schools are central to this pathway.
More information on State exam results is available online.
EDITOR'S NOTE:
These test score results prove that Mayor Control is a failure. The United Federation of Teachers said when Mayor Bloomberg came out with similar increases during the first few years of Mayoral Control that students were making normal progressive increases in student Performance.
These same words can and should have been used each and every year test scores have come out by the UFT, but they received a big fat contract when Mayor Bill de Blasio came into office which former Mayor Bloomberg refused to give to the UFT.
It is crazy to thing that because graduation rates have increased or dropout rates have dropped, or more students are taking the SAT exams that education is any better than it would have been without Mayoral Control.
The statistics speak for themselves. In no grades are students performing near where the New York State Department of Education goals were set before Mayoral Control came in. In fact when looking at the Demographic breakdowns, Black and Hispanic students are no better off than they were before Mayoral Control.
The New York State legislature must come to the reality that Mayoral Control has been one big failure to the students of New York City.
DOI INVESTIGATION LEADS TO ARREST OF OWNER OF SECURITY SERVICES COMPANY FOR MORE THAN $100,000 IN OVERBILLING OF THE SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION AUTHORITY
Mark G. Peters, Commissioner of the New York City Department of Investigation (“DOI”), in partnership with
Queens County District Attorney Richard A. Brown, today issued the following statement on the arrest of the owner
and president of First Alert Security Services, a corporation that provided security guards at School Construction
Authority (“SCA”) construction sites, on charges of grand larceny and falsifying paperwork for allegedly overbilling
SCA more than $100,000 for security guard services over nearly two and a half years. The Queens County District
Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case.
DOI Commissioner Mark G. Peters said, “This defendant stole over one hundred thousand dollars from
SCA. He used his role as owner of his own company to falsely certify and submit payroll records and other
documents, according to the charges. DOI thanks the Queens District Attorney’s Office for their prosecution of this
case.”
Queens County District Attorney Richard A. Brown said, “The defendant in this case was entrusted to
safeguard the properties of the School Construction Authority. Instead, he is alleged to have used his access and
position to con the system in order to line his pockets. This kind of criminality will not be tolerated in Queens
County. I would like to thank Commissioner Peters and his office for their hard work on this case. My office will
continue to partner with other law enforcement agencies to put a stop to these kinds of schemes.”
ABDULLATEEF SANNI, 45, of Brooklyn, N.Y. was arrested today and charged with Grand Larceny in the
Second Degree, a class C felony; Falsifying Business Records in the First Degree, a class E felony; and Offering a
False Instrument for Filing in the First Degree, a class E felony. Upon conviction, a class C felony is punishable by
up to 15 years in prison and a class E felony is punishable by up to four years in prison.
According to the criminal complaint and DOI’s investigation, from January 2015 through May 2017, SANNI
submitted certified payroll records for security guards working on SCA construction sites, stating the workers were
paid an hourly wage of $12.85 plus an hourly supplemental benefit of $4.56, totaling $17.41 paid to each worker.
SANNI also confirmed to investigators in December 2017 that he in fact paid the hourly wages and benefits
indicated in the certified payroll records filed with SCA. The investigation found that Employee Earnings Records for
all security guards employed by SANNI indicated that most of the employees actually received total compensation
of between $8.00 and $13.00 per hour. As a result of this underpayment of wages to workers, SANNI received
$100,954 from SCA to which he was not entitled.
In addition, according to the criminal complaint, SANNI also allegedly submitted documentation for
hundreds of hours of security work that was supposedly performed by certain individuals at school construction
sites, including certified payroll records and sign out logs. The investigation found that the signatures on those logs
were fraudulent. SANNI’s company, First Alert, has since been disqualified from work with SCA.
“BMB” Street Gang Member Sentenced For Murder Of Bronx Teenager And Other Racketeering Offenses
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that DONQUE TYRELL, a/k/a “Polo Rell,” a member of a violent street gang in the Bronx called the “Big Money Bosses” (“BMB”), was sentenced today on racketeering, murder, and other charges. TYRELL was sentenced to the mandatory minimum sentence of life plus 55 years in prison for, among other crimes, aiding and abetting the June 22, 2014, murder of 17-year-old Keshon Potterfield. TYRELL was sentenced by United States District Judge Jed S. Rakoff.
U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “As a result of the BMB gang’s wave of violence, Keshon Potterfield – a teenager, just beginning his life – was senselessly killed. The defendant has been sentenced for his role in this terrible murder. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to prevent gang violence and keep our streets safe.”
TYRELL was convicted of murder in aid of racketeering, racketeering conspiracy, and other offenses in connection with his membership in BMB after a six-day jury trial.
According to court documents, as well the evidence at trial and statements made during other public proceedings in this case:
BMB is a subset of the “Young Bosses,” or “YBz” street gang, which operates throughout New York City. Between 2007 and 2016, members and associates of BMB committed numerous acts of violence against rival gang members in the Bronx – including murders, attempted murders, and armed robberies – and sold crack cocaine, marijuana, and oxycodone.
TYRELL was a member of BMB. On June 22, 2014, TYRELL and other members of BMB attended a birthday party in the backyard of a residence on East 232nd Street in the Bronx. TYRELL obtained a gun from an associate at the party, pointed it in Keshon Potterfield’s direction, and then passed it to another BMB member who shot and killed Potterfield in connection with a gang rivalry. TYRELL celebrated Potterfield’s murder in public Facebook postings and in rap music videos posted on YouTube in which he taunted rival gang members and threatened future violence.
In addition to the murder in aid of racketeering conviction, TYRELL was convicted of conspiring to commit racketeering as a result of his membership in BMB, conspiring to sell narcotics, selling narcotics within 1000 feet of schools and playgrounds, using firearms in connection with the gang and drug offenses, an attempted assault with a firearm in connection with his BMB membership, and attempting to rob a livery cab driver in the Bronx by hitting him in the head with a firearm.
TYRELL was arrested in this case as a result of a multi-year investigation by the New York City Police Department’s (“NYPD”) Bronx Gang Squad, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations Violent Gang Unit (“HSI”), the New York Field Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”), and the Joint Firearms Task Force of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (“ATF”) into gang violence in the Northern Bronx.
Mr. Berman praised the outstanding work of the NYPD’s Bronx Homicide Task Force, the NYPD’s 47th Precinct Detective Squad, the NYPD’s Bronx Gang Squad, HSI, DEA, and ATF.
Owner Of Medical Technology Company Pleads Guilty To Evading Over $6.3 Million In Income Taxes
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that LEWIS STAHL, the owner of a Manhattan medical technology company, pled guilty to tax evasion based on his failure to report over $21 million in business income to the IRS, and his evasion of over $6.3 million in income taxes. STAHL pled guilty before U.S. District Judge Ronnie Abrams.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “Lewis Stahl, the owner of a successful medical technology company, earned over $21 million in profit. However, despite amassing personal wealth in the tens of millions, Stahl grossly underreported his income to the IRS, reporting income as low as less than $10,000 for the 2011 tax year. Stahl has now pled guilty to tax evasion and faces serious time in federal prison. This case is a prime example that attempting to conceal earned income is far costlier than paying your fare share like honest taxpayers.”
According to the Information to which STAHL pled guilty, and statements made during the proceedings today:
Since at least in or about 2010, STAHL has owned and operated a medical technology company located in New York, New York (the “Medical Technology Company”), a limited liability company that develops and sells medical software applications. The Medical Technology Company holds itself out as a provider of “computer ready” and “fully mobile” applications, which allow physicians to prescribe medications and to order and view diagnostic information, lab results, and cardiology/radiology images.
Between in or about 2010 and in or about 2014, the Medical Technology Company earned over $32 million in gross income. These earnings resulted in over $21 million in business income to STAHL, which he accessed by using business bank accounts and business credit cards. STAHL used this money to fund the purchase of personal items for himself such as clothing, jewelry, watches, real estate rentals, country club benefits, and a firearms collection. Prior to 2015, despite earning this business income from the Medical Technology Company, STAHL failed to file individual tax returns reporting any of the income to the IRS. The Medical Technology Company, likewise, failed to file partnership or corporate tax returns reporting any of the income to the IRS.
In or around March of 2015, an IRS revenue agent (the “IRS Revenue Agent”) contacted STAHL regarding his failure to file for the tax years 2010 through 2014, and asked STAHL to address the situation by filing delinquent Form 1040s for those years (the “Delinquent Returns”). Shortly thereafter, STAHL retained a certified public accountant (the “Accountant”) to file the Delinquent Returns for STAHL. STAHL, however, falsely stated to his Accountant, in sum and substance, and in part, that he was a “W-2” employee only of the Medical Technology Company, that his W-2 income was his only income, and that he had no ownership interest in the Medical Technology Company. In truth and in fact, STAHL had an ownership interest in the Medical Technology Company, and had earned over $21 million in business income from the company, well beyond the income reported on his W-2s.
The Accountant subsequently filed the Delinquent Returns for STAHL, which, as a result of the lies that STAHL told the Accountant, were false and fraudulent. Specifically, the Delinquent Returns falsely claimed that STAHL’s total income was $38,652 in 2010; $7,115 in 2011; $84,615 in 2012; $100,000 in 2013; and $100,000 in 2014. The Delinquent Returns further falsely reported that STAHL did not receive any business income in any of these years, and failed to include a Schedule C detailing the significant amount of business income that STAHL earned from the Medical Technology Company. STAHL’s failure to report over $21 million in business income to the IRS – first by failing to file returns, and then by causing the false Delinquent Returns to be filed by the Accountant – resulted in a loss to the IRS of over $6.3 million in taxes due and owing.
STAHL, 62, of Florida, pled guilty to one count of attempt to evade or defeat tax, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. STAHL has agreed to pay restitution to the IRS, representing the additional tax due and owing as a result of STAHL’s conduct, in the amount of at least $6,349,689. Sentencing before Judge Abrams is scheduled for January 25, 2019, at 2:30.
The statutory maximum sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for information purposes only, as any sentence imposed on the defendant will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Berman praised the outstanding investigative work of IRS-CI in this case.
NJ MAN INDICTED FOR DEFRAUDING SMALL BRONX BUSINESSES; STOLE $21,645 THEY GAVE HIM FOR INSURANCE PREMIUM PAYMENTS
Proprietors Believed They Were Covered
Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark today announced that a New Jersey man has been
indicted on 51 counts of Grand Larceny, Insurance Fraud and other charges for stealing more
than $21,000 from small business owners who thought they were paying for insurance coverage.
District Attorney Clark said, “While running an insurance brokerage in the Bronx for his
employer, the defendant allegedly took money from a barber shop, window cleaning company, a
caterer and other small businesses and provided insurance certificates, but did not process the
policies or submit the money to the insurance company. Thus, these businesses had no
insurance. Fortunately, no claims were submitted before the scheme unraveled, but this
defendant’s alleged actions jeopardized the livelihoods of hardworking people.”
District Attorney Clark said the defendant, Julio Carballo, 41, of Dumont, NJ, was indicted
on third and fourth-degree Grand Larceny, Petit Larceny, first-degree Scheme to Defraud, third
and fourth-degree Insurance Fraud, and first-degree Falsifying Business Records. He was
arraigned today before Bronx Supreme Court Justice George Villegas and released. He is due
back in court on November 14, 2018.
According to the investigation, the defendant convinced Allison Tirozzi, a Connecticut
insurance broker for whom he worked, to purchase an insurance brokerage in the Bronx and let
him run it. The defendant had complete control and many of the customers thought he was the
owner of the brokerage. Defendant took checks, cash and credit card payments from numerous
small businesses based in the Bronx presumably for payments to Nationwide Insurance.
Nationwide has reimbursed a total of $28,753 to the customers and Tirozzi reimbursed
Nationwide.
An indictment is an accusatory instrument and not proof of a defendant’s guilt
A.G. Underwood Announces Guilty Plea Of G. Steven Pigeon
Attorney and Political Consultant G. Steven Pigeon Pleads Guilty to Bribery
Attorney General Barbara D. Underwood announced the guilty plea of G. Steven Pigeon, 58, an attorney and political consultant, for bribing former State Supreme Court Justice John A. Michalek. Pigeon entered the guilty plea today before Hon. Donald F. Cerio, Jr., in Erie County Supreme Court to Bribery in the Third Degree in violation of Penal Law section 200.00, a class D felony.
“As we detailed, Steve Pigeon orchestrated a brazen, multiyear scheme to bribe a sitting judge – demonstrating flagrant contempt for the rule of law and the interests of New Yorkers. Now, he’s being brought to justice,” said Attorney General Underwood. “We have zero tolerance for public corruption. New Yorkers deserve to be able to trust the integrity of their officials – and my office will continue to do everything in our power to hold accountable those who violate that trust.”
From February 2012 through April 2015, Pigeon and Michalek exchanged emails and text messages, which reflected that Pigeon offered, conferred, or agreed to confer benefits to Michalek upon an agreement or understanding that Michalek’s official actions would be influenced. The communication between them shows that Pigeon offered Michalek assistance in obtaining employment and appointments to positions for two of his family members and in helping Michalek obtain a judicial appointment to the Supreme Court, Appellate Division, Fourth Judicial Department. Pigeon also gave Michalek and his family member two free tickets to box seats for two separate Buffalo Sabres hockey games and gave one of Michalek’s family members a free ticket to a $1,000 political fundraiser.
During the same time, Pigeon engaged in ex parte communications with Michalek concerning multiple lawsuits pending before Michalek in which Pigeon had an interest. At times, those communications involved Pigeon receiving from Michalek non-public information about the matters. Pigeon was able to provide ex parte input and advice to Michalek on these cases. Michalek selected an attorney of Pigeon’s choosing to serve as a Receiver, when that person was not on a court issued list of qualified Receivers. In order to appoint that person, Michalek filed a document with the Office of Court Administration where he falsely claimed that he required that attorney’s expertise in handling that receivership.
On June 29, 2016, Michalek pleaded guilty in connection with the same scheme, for receiving bribes from Pigeon and filing a false document with the New York State Office of Court Administration. He is awaiting sentencing. Following his conviction, Michalek resigned from the judiciary and was disbarred.
Today's plea is also in satisfaction of the December 2017 indictment against Pigeon for crimes under the New York State Election Law relating to illegal campaign coordination during the 2013 Democratic primary races of two candidates for the Erie County Legislature. The Attorney General's prosecution of Kristy Mazurek and David Pfaff remains ongoing.
Judge Cerio set December 21, 2018 for sentencing for Pigeon, who was allowed to remain free on $10,000 bail. His passport was confiscated at his arraignment. Pigeon faces up to one year in jail; he will also lose his law license.
The Attorney General’s Office thanks the United States Attorney’s Office of the Western District of New York, New York State Police, and Federal Bureau of Investigation for their work on the case. The Attorney General’s Office would also like to thank the New York State Board of Elections for their assistance.
Comptroller Stringer Proposes Sweeping Charter Reforms to Confront NYC’s Modern Day Challenges
Proposals tackle affordability crisis, land use, government transparency, wealth creation in communities of color, and procurement reforms
Calls for Chief Diversity Officer in City Hall and at each City agency to create more opportunity for minority and women owned businesses
New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer today released a comprehensive new set of proposals, “A New Charter to Confront New Challenges,” that outlines sixty-five recommended changes to the New York City Charter as the 2019 Charter Revision Commission holds its initial public hearings. Among those proposals, Comptroller Stringer is calling for a Chief Diversity Officer in every City agency, giving greater urban planning expertise to community boards, strengthening building code enforcement, and establishing procurement timeframes. The Charter, which is the City’s governing document, is undergoing its first full-scale review in nearly 30 years since the last major revision in 1989. Over three decades, the Charter has become increasingly ill equipped to support City-led solutions to modern day challenges – which this proposal aims to correct. Organized in three sections, “Creating a Fairer, More Equitable New York,” “Building a 21st Century Government,” and “Demanding Accountability & Transparency,” the report details community-focused reforms designed to a make the City more transparent, effective, and accountable.
“Since the last major charter revision nearly thirty years ago, New York City has grown by 1.2 million people and the world has changed around it, yet its charter is not prepared to meet the needs of today’s challenges. The Charter Review Commission is an opportunity for us to build a better government that takes aim at our affordability crisis and builds a fairer City by giving a voice to New Yorkers,” said Comptroller Stringer. “That’s why we’ve put together a comprehensive set of reforms designed to build a stronger City that works for everyone, and to help New Yorkers have better engagement, transparency, and accountability from their government.”
Creating a Fairer, More Equitable New York
One of the primary recommendations in Comptroller Stringer’s proposal is the creation of the Chief Diversity Officer position inside the Mayor’s cabinet and within each City agency, a role tasked with overseeing minority and women business enterprise (M/WBE) programs, tracking and measuring diverse talent, and encouraging M/WBEs to bid on City contracts.
New York City agencies spend almost $20 billion a year on goods and services, yet the Comptroller’s office has found that less than 5% of those contracts are awarded to M/BWE firms, thwarting the City’s ability to fully invest in its businesses, build wealth in local communities, and foster competitive procurements that ensure taxpayer dollars are spent most efficiently.
“We’ve seen firsthand in the Comptroller’s Office that a Chief Diversity Officer helps break down walls and transform how agencies invest in city businesses with an eye toward equity. Without this position, we perpetuate a system that fails to build wealth in communities that have historically been left behind. It’s long past time for the City to build on its thriving economy with a Chief Diversity Officer in City Hall and at each agency,” said Comptroller Stringer.
As New York City continues to confront an affordability crisis driven by a lack of affordable housing and a local government that too often fails to listen to the voices of residents feeling that crisis most acutely, reforms to local land use policy are urgently needed.
In order to better empower communities, encourage sound planning, and strengthen the overall Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP) process, Comptroller Stringer recommends the amended City Charter include the following:
- Require Community Boards to hire a full-time qualified urban planner with a degree in urban planning, architecture, real estate development, public policy or similar discipline and include the necessary budget appropriations to fund this position;
- Create a new office of long-term planning that can help growing communities foresee infrastructure challenges down the road; and
- To provide the public with greater opportunity to weigh in on the metrics used in Environmental Impact Statements, the City Charter should be updated to create a public process for reviewing the City Environmental Quality Review framework.
Building a 21st Century Government
Despite the existence of a comprehensive building code and housing regulations designed to protect the health, safety, and welfare of New York City residents, too many New Yorkers are forced to live in buildings that are dilapidated, unsanitary, or unsafe. In its current structure, the Department of Buildings (DOB) is an agency in conflict with itself in that it both approves permits for construction and enforces construction codes. Similarly, the Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) has to both finance and develop housing while enforcing housing standards.
To resolve this conflict, the Comptroller’s office proposes creating a new Office of Inspection, which will be responsible for all building and housing inspection and remediation. Such responsibilities should be removed from the DOB and HPD so that they can focus more on their other respective responsibilities.
Demanding Accountability & Transparency
The City’s budget and the accompanying financial plans are tools for maintaining sustainable spending and revenues, and ensuring accountability over the use of the public’s money. Yet annual budget presentations lack critical information, limiting public participation and the Council’s ability to carry out its Charter role in the budget process.
To provide more transparency in the budget process for elected officials and the public, the Comptroller’s office finds an updated City Charter must be overhauled in order to improve transparency, accountability, and control in the City budget.
In particular, the City’s capital budget, through which the City builds new schools, paves its streets, and ensures a clean and reliable water supply, needs a substantial overhaul so that the public can understand the cost and status of the capital projects that are vital to the City’s future.
Suggested reforms include:
- Structuring the capital budget to allow the public to identify and understand the cost of individual capital projects;
- Providing better and more comprehensive information about the condition of capital assets; and
- Reporting on the changes in the cost and status of capital projects.
New York City relies on a network of non-profit services providers to help meet the needs of vulnerable residents, but thousands of these non-profits go unpaid for months and are forced to deliver services without a registered contract.
In order to ensure every City agency operates with efficiency and transparency, the City Charter should be amended to give each agency with an oversight role in the procurement process a timeframe to complete its task, similar to the explicit 30-day timeframe for contract registration required for the Comptroller’s Office.
Beyond these recommendations, the report covers topics such as cybersecurity, adopting instant runoff voting, strengthening services for children citywide, and strengthening the campaign finance system, among others.
Read all of Comptroller Stringer’s sixty-five recommendations here.