What does accountability look like, John? It’s what the Office of the Comptroller is all about.

Through the tools of our office – including our audits, reports, and contract reviews – we examine how City agencies are functioning. We look to see that taxpayer dollars are being spent carefully, and that corruption has not tainted City contracts.

Now, more than ever, New Yorkers deserve transparent, honest City government that truly works for the people of New York City. That’s why we just rolled out a new dashboard that measures how well – or how poorly – City agencies are delivering services.

Here a few more ways our team has been demanding accountability for New Yorkers lately:

The federal indictment of Mayor Eric Adams raises serious concerns about the Turkish consulate building's fire and structural safety. I sent a letter demanding information from FDNY and the Department of Buildings about compliance of Turkish House since it opened in 2021, in light of suggestions that it may have bypassed inspections.
After our audit team found that the NYC Sheriff’s Office has ALREADY outspent its overtime budget by 542% this year, I urged the Office to address what appears to be systemic issues with overtime budgeting, spending and controls. The ten highest paid Sheriff’s Office employees earned a collective $1,010,739 in overtime pay in 2023. Meanwhile, it's costing taxpayers almost $5,000,000 over budget.
My office raised numerous red flags about the Administration for Children's Services’ (ACS) contract with a vendor called Derive Technologies. In our review, we found an insufficient bidding process and concerning ties to Terence Banks, a lobbyist and member of Mayor Adams’ inner circle. My office rejected the contract – and I’m glad to see ACS cancel the contract as well.
New reporting shows that vital services for asylum seekers were intentionally delayed due to interference from Tim Pearson, a member of Mayor Adams’ inner circle. Shortly thereafter, my office released a 4-step plan to prevent this kind of corruption and abuse in City contracting. Our recommendations include instituting mandated procurement timelines so that individuals can’t dubiously delay contracts like this.

John, as your Chief Accountability Officer, I take this stuff very seriously. Our city is hungry for honest leadership and transparent City agencies that deliver for all New Yorkers.

Stay tuned for more ways we’re holding the City accountable, and be sure to check out our agency management dashboard to monitor how agencies are stacking up.

Thanks,

Brad