Dear New Yorkers,

This summer has been busy – and sweltering – across the City.

From taking action to protect retirement security, to producing hard-hitting audits on public safety, the many hats we wear in the Comptroller’s Office allow us to shed light on the most important issues affecting all New Yorkers.

Here's just a quick glimpse into what we've been up to so far this summer:

Wong et al v. NYCERS Outcome

The New York County Supreme Court dismissed Wong et al v. NYCERS, a case that challenged the decision by three of New York City’s pension funds to divest from publicly traded fossil fuel reserve owners. This decision is a big win for common-sense responsible investing, for New York City’s municipal workers and retirees, and for the future of our City and our planet.

Charter Revision Commission 

Last month, I appeared before the Mayor’s hastily arranged Charter Revision Commission, outlining five common-sense proposals to improve the City’s financial management practices. I’m glad that the Commission says it will consider our proposal to modernize capital planning. But that must go along with action to ensure the affordability of the City’s debt, long-term savings and efficiencies, and procurement reform.

Protecting Mifepristone 

With abortion access increasingly under attack across the country, my office issued a strong warning to pharmacy giants Walmart, Costco, Kroger, Albertsons, and McKesson that they must immediately start dispensing abortion medication to avoid risking both investor confidence and abortion access. With NYC’s pension funds holding over $1.3 billion in total shares of these companies, dispensing mifepristone benefits customers and employees, increases sales, and generates long-term shareholder value.

Department of Correction Case Delay Report 

Our new report found that court case processing times have grown worse in recent years and are contributing to the Department of Correction (DOC)’s increased jail population. The number of cases that take longer than three years to process have increased by a whopping 179%. My office recommends aligning case processing timelines with national standards, which could save NYC up to $875 million.

ShotSpotter Audit 

This summer, my office also released an audit of the New York Police Department (NYPD)’s use of ShotSpotter – an auditory gunfire location and detection technology – and found the alerts only identified confirmed shootings 13% of the time. Overall, the evidence shows that NYPD is wasting precious time and money on this technology and needs to do a better job managing its resources as we continue to prioritize public safety.

2024 LGBTQIA+ Resource Guide  

In honor of Pride Month, my office released our 2024 LGBTQIA+ Resource guide in June. This guide – the most comprehensive in the city – includes information on a wide range of LGBTQIA+ services, including senior services, access to housing, youth support and more. For questions about the 2024 edition or to request a print copy, please email [email protected].

City Agency Vacancies Dashboard 

Last but definitely not least! Working to promote increased transparency, my office released our NYC Agency Staffing Dashboard, which will be updated monthly. This new dashboard presents data on the number of actual full-time City employees, as well as the number of full-time positions unfilled, allowing the public to access to up-to-date information on City staffing by agency.

Thanks for reading,

Brad

The Office of New York City Comptroller

Our mailing address is:
Office of New York City Comptroller Brad Lander
1 Centre Street
New York, NY 10007
United States

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