Dear New Yorkers,

As I start my tenure today as your new Comptroller, I wanted to wish you a Happy New Year and share a little about how I’m approaching this office and my responsibilities.

The job of the NYC Comptroller is to make NYC government work better. To ensure we are budgeting wisely, investing strategically, and operating effectively to help secure a healthy and sustainable future for all New Yorkers.

Watch our video of my oath of office as I was officially sworn in as NYC’s 45th Comptroller:
 

 
One way to think about the Comptroller is as NYC’s “Chief Accountability Officer.” We usually talk about accounting as though it’s values-free – we ask, do the numbers add up?
 
But the truth is: it’s all about what we value.
 
If we value our neighborhoods, then we must invest in truly affordable housing, resilient infrastructure, public transit, and good schools.
 
If we value a fair economy, then we must protect the people whose work keeps our City going – with the dignity, pay, and pensions they need to care for themselves and their families.
 
If we value good government, then we must shine the bright light of transparency on city agencies, and insist that they work better, to deliver on democratic promises.
 
If we value our future, we must take bold action now to confront the climate crisis and transition to a green economy.
 
My task — our task together – is to make sure that we are accounting for our shared values.
 
The numbers must add up to a more just and equitable city where everyone has a chance to thrive.
 
As we start the new year with a new administration, we are still facing down a public health crisis that has taken the lives of too many of our neighbors, disproportionately in communities of color, and disrupted our city’s economy, leaving many families still struggling. We must learn the lessons of this crisis to ensure we are better prepared for the next ones, and work together to secure a just recovery.
 
I’m honored to be stepping into this role today, and look forward to working hard, every day, side-by-side with you, to deliver on those promises. I’m grateful for the strong foundation laid by Scott Stringer and previous Comptrollers, and especially for the staff who carry out the work of auditing city agencies, investing pension dollars, registering contracts, analyzing expenditures, and so much more every day.
 
That is the work that we will continue to do together, holding NYC government accountable to its promises to secure a fairer and more sustainable future for all our neighborhoods.
 
May 2022 bring us all better health, more community, and a more hopeful future.
 
Comptroller Brad Lander