State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli's Weekly News - Monitoring Financial Operations of Local Governments

 

Monitoring Financial Operations of

Local Governments Across New York

Holding local governments accountable and helping them obtain the knowledge and tools necessary to do their job is a critical responsibility of the Office of the State Comptroller. In 2023, State Comptroller DiNapoli's office audited hundreds of local governments and schools, trained thousands of local officials, and examined financial data. The office also streamlined financial reporting and created an easier way for local officials to submit information. This new system improves data quality and fosters more transparency in the use of taxpayers’ dollars.

Read the Year in Review

Watch the Video

Sixteen School Districts

Designated in Fiscal Stress

Sixteen school districts were designated in some level of fiscal stress for the school year ending June 30, 2023. This is up from 14 districts the prior year, but still well below the 33 designated in stress in 2019. A boost in temporary federal aid and growth in State aid have helped shore up school districts’ finances. 

“Although federal relief packages and State aid provided much needed assistance, school officials should remain diligent and closely monitor their financial condition in the current and future budget cycles as one-time federal funds are depleted and State aid is uncertain,” DiNapoli said.   

DiNapoli Files Shareholder Proposals with Six Companies on Political Spending

State Comptroller DiNapoli, trustee of the New York State Common Retirement Fund, announced the filing of shareholder proposals at six portfolio companies requesting they comprehensively disclose their political spending. DiNapoli filed the disclosure proposals with Airbnb Inc., DoorDash Inc., Caesars Entertainment Inc., SoFi Technologies Inc., Charter Communications Inc., and DraftKings Inc.

Read More

Livingston County Woman Arrested for Theft of Deceased Mother's Pension Payments

State Comptroller DiNapoli, Livingston County District Attorney Gregory J. McCaffrey, and the New York State Police announced the arrest of Patricia Chatley, 59, of Nunda, New York for allegedly stealing over $34,500 of her mother’s public pension payments after she died in January of 2020.

Read More

State Comptroller DiNapoli Statement on New York City Mayor's 2024 State of the City Address

State Comptroller DiNapoli said, “Public safety, affordability, and economic growth must guide future investments for New York, but the City is facing serious challenges, including unsustainable spending on the migrant crisis, growing housing costs and federal pandemic aid coming to an end."

Read More

Municipal & School Audits

• East Aurora Union Free School District
• Holland Patent Central School District
• Brockport Central School District
• Garrison Union Free School District

Internship Opportunities for College Students

Do you know a college student completing their sophomore, junior or senior year looking for a summer internship in Albany? Applications for the Office of the State Comptroller’s 2024 Future Forward Internship Academy are open now through Friday, Feb. 16!  Paid internships at the Office of the State Comptroller offer an opportunity to gain hands-on experience and the ability to earn up to 13 semester credit hours. Students can choose from a range of career tracks, and may be eligible to pursue full-time opportunities down the road with the State Comptroller's office.  

Learn More and Apply

ALSO IN THE NEWS THIS WEEK

_{Note: Some news links may require a paid subscription.} 

• $30,000 a Year for Housing? That’s Average in New York.

• Comptroller: Sixteen NY school districts have some form of fiscal stress
  
  
• NYS donor tax checkoffs need a hard review
  
  

• Comptroller Tom DiNapoli on New York's budget battle
  
  

• Woman accused of stealing thousands of dollars from dead mother’s pension
  
  
• NYS Comptroller DiNapoli seeks political spending information from six companies

Tom DiNapoli @NYSComptroller 

Permits Filed For 2175 Davidson Avenue In University Heights, The Bronx

 

Permits have been filed for a four-story residential building at 2175 Davidson Avenue in University Heights, The Bronx. Located between West 182nd Street and Clinton Place, the lot is three blocks south of the 183rd Street subway station, serviced by the 4 train. Moses Ostreicher under the 2175 Davidson Avenue LLC is listed as the owner behind the applications.

The proposed 42-foot-tall development will yield 9,993 square feet designated for residential space. The building will have 20 residences, most likely rentals based on the average unit scope of 499 square feet. The steel-based structure will also have open space but no accessory parking.

Oleg Ruditser of Engineering Professional Service is listed as the architect of record.

Demolition permits will likely not be needed as the lot is vacant. An estimated completion date has not been announced.

Justice Department Announces Surge of Resources to Fight Violent Crime in Washington, D.C.

 

The Justice Department announced that it will surge additional law enforcement tools and resources to target those most responsible for violent crime and carjackings in Washington, D.C.

“Last year, we saw an encouraging decline in violent crime in many parts of the country, but there is much more work to do — including here in the District of Columbia,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “This surge in law enforcement resources will build on the Department’s efforts to target the individuals and organizations that are driving violent crime in the nation’s capital. The Justice Department will not rest until every community in our country is safe from the scourge of violent crime.”

“We have been surgically targeting and prosecuting those driving violence within our community,” said U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia. “The surge of resources to these efforts will allow us to continue to expand on these efforts and to take even more drivers of violence off our streets.”

The additional resources include a multi-component Gun Violence Analytic Cell (GVAC), which is led by the FBI with partners from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Using data analytics, GVAC will identify additional federal investigations that should be opened to combat violent crime and carjackings.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia has already charged hundreds of such cases in recent years, including a case announced this week against five alleged fentanyl traffickers, three of whom were charged with firearms violations in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense. The case was a result of a year-long multiagency investigation into narcotics distribution points in the Washington Highlands neighborhood of Southeast Washington, D.C.

To increase the capacity to prosecute the additional investigations generated from GVAC and other efforts, the initiative will also detail federal prosecutors from the Justice Department’s Criminal Division to work violent crime cases in D.C., and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia is moving additional prosecutors within the Superior Court docket to focus on carjacking and both lethal and non-lethal firearms cases.

This announcement builds on similar prosecutorial and investigative resource surges throughout the country as part of the Department’s strategy to combat violent crime in targeted communities. In November 2023, the Justice Department announced a significant increase in prosecutorial resources in Memphis, Tennessee, and in September 2022, the Justice Department similarly announced additional prosecutors detailed to fight target gangs in Houston.

These efforts are all part of a Department-wide Violent Crime Reduction Strategy announced by Attorney General Garland in May 2021, aimed at addressing the spike in violent crime during the pandemic. Since then, every U.S. Attorney’s Office across the country has worked alongside its federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to implement district-specific violent crime reduction strategies. In addition, the Department has also focused on strengthening its national Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative, as well as the National Public Safety Partnership, which makes Department tools and expertise available to more than 50 specific local law enforcement agencies.

All of these efforts are emblematic of the Department’s recognition that the best anti-violent crime strategies are tailored to the needs of, and are developed with, individual communities.

Affordable Housing Lottery Launches For 115 West 190th Street In Fordham Manor, The Bronx

 

The affordable housing lottery has launched for 115 West 190th Street, a four-story mixed-use building in Fordham Manor, The Bronx. Designed by Boaz M. Golani Architect and developed by Isra Holdings, the structure yields 37 residences. Available on NYC Housing Connect are 12 units for residents at 130 percent of the area median income (AMI), ranging in eligible income from $87,429 to $198,250.

Units come with energy-efficient appliances, air conditioning, and name-brand kitchen appliances, countertops, and finishes. Tenants are responsible for electricity, which includes electric stove, heat, and hot water.

At 130 percent of the AMI, there is one studio with a monthly rent of $2,550 for incomes ranging from $87,429 to $146,900; eight one-bedrooms with a monthly rent of $3,013 for incomes ranging from $103,303 to $165,230; and three two-bedrooms with a monthly rent of $3,464 for incomes ranging from $118,766 to $198,250.

Prospective renters must meet income and household size requirements to apply for these apartments. Applications must be postmarked or submitted online no later than February 16, 2024.

Public Review Begins For Bronx Metro-North Station Area Plan

 

The New York City Planning Commission, led by chair Dan Garodnick, has initiated the review process for the Bronx Metro-North Station Area Plan. The plan is designed to enhance the East Bronx service in conjunction with new Metro-North stations slated for Parkchester/Van Nest, Morris Park, Hunts Point, and Co-op City. The four proposed stations, if approved, will be scheduled to open in 2027 and will connect Bronx residents with crucial job centers across the New York City metropolitan area.

The Bronx Metro-North Station Area Plan includes the development of approximately 7,500 new homes, with a focus on creating 1,900 permanently income-restricted homes. These homes are planned to be built in Parkchester/Van Nest and parts of Morris Park, and the plan estimates it will create 10,000 new jobs if approved.

Beyond housing and job creation, infrastructure and public amenities are also core components of the Bronx Metro-North Station Area Plan. Proposed improvements include the development of new or renovation of aging public plazas and open spaces, along with the support of local retail to build community around the transit hubs.

The plan is currently in the public review phase, known as the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure. This phase will include recommendations from Community Boards 9, 10, and 11, followed by votes at the City Planning Commission and the City Council. The plan’s certification, which happened on January 23, marks the beginning of the seven-month land use review process.