Retired New York State Deputy Comptroller Elliott Auerbach

It's not E-Z....

Audit finds Thruway Authority struggling to collect hundreds of millions of dollars in tolls The New York State Thruway Authority has had trouble collecting hundreds of millions of dollars in tolls and related fees since it went to a cashless tolling system. It wants to raise tolls in 2024.

$369m up quarter over quarter....https://www.osc.state.ny.us/press/releases/2023/05/dinapoli-local-sales-tax-collections-7-percent-first-quarter

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Join Our Team as a Local Government Auditor New York State’s chief fiscal officer, responsible for governmental and financial oversight of state agencies, public authorities, loca

One of the great people I get to work with everyday!

Please join me in congratulating Dara Disko-McCagg on her recent appointment to Chief Examiner of our Newburgh Office within the Division of Local Government and School Accountability (LGSA).

Dara began her public service career as an intern with the NYS Department of Taxation and Finance in 2004, which led her to explore the many options for state employment. In 2006, she accepted a traineeship at our agency as a field auditor. “There’s always opportunities,” she explains. “Just because you start in one place, doesn’t mean you have to stay there.”

In her first role here, Dara conducted audits of various local governments and school districts. In 2011, she was promoted to a supervising auditor position. From there, she spent some time helping hire new employees as part of a new division hiring initiative, and eventually moved on to a supervisory position within the division’s Data Management Unit.

When a new opportunity popped up in OSC’s Division of Investigations, she jumped on it, taking the skills and knowledge she learned from her time in LGSA and applying it to her new role. Eventually, yet another opportunity presented itself and Dara rejoined LGSA, this time as the manager of the division’s Professional Standards Unit, where she spent the next seven years before accepting the Chief Examiner position.

Dara’s years of hard work allowed her to build many positive working relationships, making her a great fit for leading LGSA’s Newburgh office. “The connections and working with a variety of people from different units and divisions is everything. The variety is great,” she says.

As a family-oriented person, she also really values the work-life balance the Comptroller’s office offers, which involves a standard workweek. “When my day ends, I’m able to go home to my family.”

Dara’s story speaks to the many opportunities a career in state government offers. She is an inspiration for anyone considering this line of work. I can’t thank Dara enough for her service to this office and the people of New York.

Learn how you can join our Division of Local Government and School Accountability as an auditor -> https://www.osc.state.ny.us/employment/lgsa

It's not just a job, it's a career...if helping officials from Counties, Cities, Towns, Villages & School Districts across NYS interests you learn more about the opportunities at the Office of the State Comptroller.

Make a Difference in Your Community as a Local Government Auditor The Office of the New York State Comptroller is hiring auditors to join our Local Government and Schools team and ensure tax dollars are being used effective...

Search Millions of State and Local Government Financial Records...
"New Yorkers pay among the highest taxes in the country. It's important to have transparency so citizens are empowered with information they need to hold their elected officials accountable." – Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli

Open Book New York Find out how your government money is spent using our easy-to-use search tool. Track municipal spending, the state's 180,000 contracts, billions in state payments and public authority data.

Here’s to the first week of 2023…

New Law Restores Oversight Authority of the State Comptroller’s Office New York Office of State Comptroller New Law Restores Oversight Authority of the State Comptroller’s Office New York Office of State Comptroller sent this bulletin at 01/07/2023 07:00 AM EST View as a Web page/Share New Law Restores Oversight Authority of the State Comptroller’s Office For more ...

College con game...“Cindy Tappe used her high-ranking position at NYU to divert more than $660,000 in state funds to companies she controlled to fund a lavish lifestyle.” said NYS Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli
https://nypost.com/2022/12/19/former-nyu-administrator-charged-for-orchestrating-3-5m-fraud-scheme/?utm_source=email_sitebuttons&utm_medium=site%20buttons&utm_campaign=site%20buttons

Here’s what our week looked like at the Office of Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli

Young People in NYC Face Double-Digit Unemployment New York Office of State Comptroller Young People in NYC Face Double-Digit Unemployment New York Office of State Comptroller sent this bulletin at 12/17/2022 07:00 AM EST View as a Web page/Share Young People in NYC Face Double-Digit Unemployment Young people in New York City continue to face double...

It was a busy week in the Office of Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli. Here's what we are seeing...

Nearly 14% of New Yorkers Live in Poverty New York Office of State Comptroller Nearly 14% of New Yorkers Live in Poverty New York Office of State Comptroller sent this bulletin at 12/10/2022 07:00 AM EST View as a Web page/Share Nearly 14% of New Yorkers Live in Poverty Almost 2.7 million New Yorkers, or 13.9% of the State’s population, l...

It's been a busy week at the Office of State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli

NYC’s Department of Homeless Services Failed to Meet Shelter Residents’ Needs New York Office of State Comptroller NYC’s Department of Homeless Services Failed to Meet Shelter Residents’ Needs New York Office of State Comptroller sent this bulletin at 12/03/2022 07:00 AM EST View as a Web page/Share NYC’s Department of Homeless Services Failed to Meet Shelter Residents....

From corn dogs to kickbacks…

DiNapoli: Former Long Island School Official Pleads Guilty in Kickback Scheme New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli announced that earlier today, Sharon Gardner, the former Director of Food Services for the Hempstead Union Free School District (“HUFSD”), pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud.

The BIG Bucks of the BIG Five…

How the largest school districts in New York spent pandemic aid Learning loss and personnel among biggest costs.

DiNapoli: New York Drug Overdose Deaths Surged During Pandemic
Drug overdose fatalities surged during the COVID-19 pandemic in New York state, with opioid-related overdose deaths increasing by 68% to nearly 5,000 individuals from 2019 to 2021, according to an analysis released today by New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli.

Office of the New York State Comptroller | Thomas P. DiNapoli The official website of the Office of the New York State Comptroller. Thomas P. DiNapoli is the 54th Comptroller of the State of New York.

"Flushing" out felons...

Former Oneida City Chamberlain arrested, stealing over $78,000 in city funds ONEIDA, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) — Former Oneida City Chamberlain Nancy Andrews was arrested for allegedly stealing more than $78,000 from the city over the past 14 years, according to New York State P…

A family affair...

2 former fire department officials in Allegany County arrested for stealing more than $11,000 BELMONT — Two former officials of the Oramel Fire Department in Allegany County were arrested Wednesday on grand larceny and other charges for allegedly stealing more than $11,000 from the

https://www.northcountrynow.com/news/former-norwood-village-treasurer-accused-stealing-73725-during-tenure-0327537

Former Norwood Village treasurer accused of stealing $73,725 during tenure | NorthCountryNow “I will continue to work with the State Police and Comptroller’s Office to hold the defendant accountable, rectify the financial losses incurred by the Village of Norwood, and assure the people of Norwood that my office will work to restore confidence in its public servants,” said District Att...

Snow job....

Ex-Lake Luzerne Town Board member charged with fraud A former Lake Luzerne Town Board member was arrested for allegedly swindling nearly $128,000 from the South Warren Snowmobile Club.

https://publicnewsservice.org/2022-09-07/mental-health/ny-experiencing-shortage-of-school-social-workers/a80553-1

NY Experiencing Shortage of School Social Workers School districts across the state of New York are facing a shortage of social workers. According to an audit by the state comptroller's office, New York City schools are not providing enough social workers per school. The report showed 423 schools are without social workers, while most of the school...

We are hiring at the Office of the State Comptroller...
About the job
The Office of Budget and Policy Analysis (BPA) serves as the Comptroller’s primary source of expertise on the State’s budget, economic and fiscal issues affecting the State, and policy matters with implications for New York residents. BPA publications serve as a resource for a wide range of interested parties including other governmental entities, policy makers, not-for-profit organizations, and individuals by providing information about State finances, public authorities and various other topics.

BPA staff prepare revenue, spending and economic forecasts; monitor and report on the State’s Financial Plan and Capital Plan, and actual receipts and disbursements results; participate in various capacities in the annual State budget process for the Comptroller; and develop analysis, options and approaches to fiscal and policy challenges that inform the Comptroller’s major policy initiatives in areas including fiscal reform, public authority oversight, the Comptroller’s Green Initiative, and more.

The Director of Policy reports to the Assistant Deputy Comptroller and works closely with staff within the Division of Budget and Policy Analysis. The Director is responsible for managing a team of policy analysts in the development, production and communication of high-quality, timely, and impactful policy reports and other documents in support of the Comptroller’s strategic plan.

www.linkedin.com

Now is the time to double-down on mental health supports for youth – schools are critical partners in this work, and it is imperative that they step up efforts to emotionally support students.”

Urgent Mental Health Crisis Among Youth New York Office of State Comptroller Urgent Mental Health Crisis Among Youth New York Office of State Comptroller sent this bulletin at 08/20/2022 07:00 AM EDT View as a webpage / Share Urgent Mental Health Crisis Among Youth At a time when the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated a worsening mental he...

Cash contentment could cloud as inflation and interest rates rise....

New York's tax revenue isn't slowing — for now New York's sales tax receipts remain high.

Restoring oversight authority also restores “the good “ back in “good government “

Reform groups urge more oversight for state contracts A move would restore oversight by the comptroller.

A crisis on top of a crisis…

DiNapoli: State Needs To Do More for Growing Mental Health Crisis in Schools Too many of New York school districts’ mental health teams are understaffed, with too few available services and inconsistent and limited oversight of mental health education for students, an audit by New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli found.

It’s been a busy week…

Analysis of 2022-23 Enacted State Budget New York Office of State Comptroller Analysis of 2022-23 Enacted State Budget New York Office of State Comptroller sent this bulletin at 05/07/2022 07:00 AM EDT Analysis of 2022-23 Enacted State Budget State Comptroller DiNapoli released a review of New York’s recently adopted $220.5 billion State...

Mind the gap…

Despite Progress, Pay Gap for Women Persists In 2020, women earned 83 cents to every dollar earned by men, a wage gap of more than $10,435 based on median earnings for men and women who worked full-time, as reported by the U.S. Census Bureau.

Pandemic profits…..

NYS Comptroller DiNapoli: Wall Street’s 2021 Bonuses Set a New Record The average bonus paid to employees in New York City’s securities industry for 2021 grew to $257,500, a 20% jump over the previous year’s record high, according to annual estimates released today by New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli.

Blindsided and unprepared creates a twisted narrative...

DiNapoli: State's Pandemic Response to Nursing Homes Hindered by Ill-Prepared State Agency The state Department of Health (DOH) was unprepared to respond to infectious disease outbreaks at nursing homes, even before the COVID-19 pandemic hit New York, an audit released today by New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli found.

Let the sunshine in….

☀️ It’s ! At the Comptroller’s office, we try to live by the ideals of Sunshine Week every day. Our work shines light on how federal and state funding and public dollars are being spent and calls out when it’s not being done in the best interest of taxpayers.

☀️ This week we’re highlighting several of our open data initiatives, including Open Book New York, our interactive data dashboards, and how we’re pushing to make Corporate America more transparent.

“…auditors found Samaritan Village charged the state $973,881 for unalienable , inappropriate , questionable or undocumented expenses.”

DiNapoli: Nearly $1 Million in Questionable Payments Result from Poor Monitoring by OASAS Samaritan Village Inc., a contractor of substance abuse treatment for the Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS), was paid nearly $1 million in inappropriate and questionable expenses over a one-year period, according to an audit released today by State Comptroller DiNapoli.

Our own version of March madness…

web.osc.state.ny.us

NYS Comptroller DiNapoli Prohibits New Russian Investments and Directs Investment Review New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli has directed staff to prohibit all new investments in Russian companies and to review the New York State Common Retirement Fund’s (Fund) current investments and assess whether they present financial risks that warrant further restrictions or divestment...

Aid to municipalities has contracted while their " cost of doing business" has increased.

DiNapoli: Aid to cities in New York hasn't kept pace Large cities in upstate New York have seen steep decline.

A resignation does not remedy the problem...

State audit finds over $90k in discrepancies in Town of Highlands tax receiver’s office - Mid Hudson News ALBANY – A state comptroller’s audit of the Town of Highlands receiver of taxes and assessments found that the former receiver, who resigned during the audit, did not properly bill, collect, or disburse taxes, fees and penalties. The audit, issued on this past January 21, said the town board did...

Road remedies…

DiNapoli Releases Report on Local Roads Local governments across New York State spent $2 billion on road maintenance, repairs and upgrades in local fiscal year (FY) 2020, a decline of 7% since 2010 when adjusted for inflation, according to a report by New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli.

Kids' Kitty Compromised....“Ms. Smoulder betrayed the students she was obligated to serve by stealing money that they raised themselves to help pay for their extracurricular activities,” https://www.osc.state.ny.us/press/releases/2022/01/dinapoli-former-treasurer-frewsburg-central-school-district-pleads-guilty-stealing-nearly-7000-school
Comptroller DiNapoli said.

DiNapoli: Former Treasurer of Frewsburg Central School District Pleads Guilty to Stealing Nearly $7,000 in School Funds NYS Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli and District Attorney Jason Schmidt today announced the arrest and guilty plea of Angela Smoulder, former Treasurer of the Frewsburg Central School District, for stealing nearly $7,000 in funds raised by students to support their extra-classroom activities.

Looking back and moving forward.
"As we welcome a new year, we look to the future and hope for better times. Although we will continue to face the challenges posed by the pandemic, our economy is recovering and we will move forward with perseverance. I am proud of the work my team has done to ensure government is held accountable and serves the people of New York more effectively and efficiently. I’d like to share some of those projects and accomplishments with you through my 2021 Year In Review." Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli

web.osc.state.ny.us