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NEWS from the Office of the New York State Comptroller
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DiNapoli: Lagging Ridership Leaves MTA With Hard Choices, Must Adjust to Changing Demand

Overall ridership on New York City’s regional transit system is not recovering as hoped, leaving revenue well below pre-pandemic levels and forcing the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) into a difficult financial position as federal aid dwindles, according to a report issued today by New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli.

DiNapoli: State Tax Receipts Through First Quarter Exceed Financial Plan Projections by $1.7 Billion

State tax receipts totaled $34.4 billion through the first quarter of State Fiscal Year 2022-23, exceeding the Division of the Budget’s (DOB) Enacted Budget Financial Plan forecast by $1.7 billion, according to the monthly State Cash Report released by State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli.

DiNapoli: Tennessee Woman Sentenced for Stealing Deceased Mother's NYS Pension Checks

New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli today announced the sentencing of Leslie Schwinzer, of Knoxville, Tennessee, for stealing pension checks that had been issued to her deceased mother. Schwinzer, 46, was sentenced on July 14, 2022 to pay over $56,000 in restitution and serve eight months home detention and two years’ probation before the Honorable Thomas A. Varlan in United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Knoxville.

DiNapoli: Overtime Costs at State Agencies Reached All-Time High in 2021

The total cost of overtime in 2021 reached an all-time high at more than $924 million, up 8.7% from 2020, covering roughly 19.95 million overtime hours worked, or an increase of 4.3%, according to a report released today by State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli. Total overtime hours worked at state agencies have increased by 38% since 2012, while the number of employees has declined by more than 10% at 10 major agencies.

DiNapoli: Former Ulster County BOCES Criminal Justice Teacher Arrested for Defrauding the NYS Pension System Out of Over $157,000

State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli, Ulster County District Attorney David J. Clegg and the New York State Police today announced the arrest of former Ulster County BOCES instructor of Criminal Justice, Anthony Sciacca, a retired Westchester County Police Officer, for allegedly swindling the New York State and Local Retirement System (NYSLRS) out of $157,341.78 in unlawful pension payments.

DiNapoli: Number of New Yorkers Behind on Utility Bills Soared During Pandemic

The devastating number of job losses caused by the COVID-19 pandemic caused a significant increase in the number of residential customers owing money to their utility companies, with one in eight customers in arrears as of March 2022, according to a report released today by State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli. More than 1.2 million customers statewide owed $1.8 billion with customers from New York City and Long Island comprising 60% of those in arrears and 68% of the amount owed.

DiNapoli: Tax Cap Set at 2% in 2023

Property tax levy growth will again be capped at 2% for 2023 for local governments that operate on a calendar-based fiscal year, according to data released today by State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli. This figure affects tax cap calculations for all counties, towns, and fire districts, as well as 44 cities and 13 villages.

DiNapoli Announces Nominee for the Commission on Ethics and Lobbying in Government

State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli today announced his nomination of Nancy G. Groenwegen to the Commission on Ethics and Lobbying in Government. Groenwegen previously served as counsel to the Comptroller from 2010 to 2019.

“Nancy is well known for her integrity and independence,” DiNapoli said. “New York is facing challenging times and needs an ethics commission that is committed to openness and accountability. Nancy’s character, knowledge and depth of experience will help New York meet those challenges and enhance the public’s faith in government.”

DiNapoli Audit Finds Lax Oversight of Medicaid Payments May Have Cost Taxpayers Nearly $300 Million

Too often Medicaid pays medical bills that a third-party insurer should have covered, and not enough is being done to make sure Medicaid recovers that money, according to an audit by New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli. The audit found that a lack of oversight by the state Department of Health (DOH) and the Office of the Medicaid Inspector General (OMIG) resulted in nearly $300 million in pharmacy claims that Medicaid never tried to recover from patients’ insurance providers.

DiNapoli: Syosset Man Sentenced for Role in $12 Million Ponzi Scheme

New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli and Nassau County District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly announced a Syosset man was sentenced today to up to ten-and-a-half years in prison for his role in a $12 million Ponzi scheme that targeted nearly 50 victims—many of them seniors—between 2015 and 2017.

Matthew Eckstein, 52, pleaded guilty on Feb. 8, 2022, before Judge Teresa Corrigan to charges of Grand Larceny in the First Degree (a B felony) and Conspiracy in the Fourth Degree (an E felony). The defendant was sentenced today to 3-1/2 to 10-1/2 years in prison.