New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli today recommended improvement of oversight of the Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) after a report by his office found that previous reforms have not reduced costs for ratepayers and debt levels continue to rise.

Local sales tax collection growth across New York State slowed to 1.6 percent in the first six months of 2015 from 3 percent growth in 2014 and was considerably lower than the 4.2 percent average annual growth over the past 15 years, according to a report released today by State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli.

State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli announced today his office approved 1,887 contracts valued at $12.3 billion and approved nearly 1.3 million payments worth approximately $11.8 billion in June. His office also rejected 170 contracts and related transactions valued at $356 million and more than 2,000 payments valued at more than $7.3 million due to fraud, waste or other improprieties.

Applicants who were next in line for coveted Mitchell-Lama apartments were skipped over for people farther down the waiting lists because of lax oversight and poor controls, an audit by New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli determined.

New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli today announced his office completed audits of the Village of Fultonville, Town of Livonia and the Seymour Public Library District.

New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli and Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman and today announced the guilty plea of Linda Miller, 57, of Englewood, New Jersey, over the theft of more than $162,000 in pension benefits from the New York State and Local Employees Retirement System. The defendant, Linda Miller, continued to cash her mother Josephine Miller’s retirement benefits until 2012, despite her mother’s death in 2006. Linda Miller pleaded guilty to 3rd degree Grand Larceny, a class D felony, in Albany County Court before the Honorable Thomas A. Breslin. 

In the emergency response to Superstorm Sandy, the state Division of Military and Naval Affairs (DMNA) used a catering company which tacked on $20,000 in excessive costs, according to a report released today by State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli.

“The murders of three Israeli teenagers, innocent young men whose future’s held great promise, are both shocking and saddening. My heartfelt thoughts and prayers are with the families of the young victims.

“There cannot be true peace in the Middle East until the citizens of Israel no longer have to face such threats. We must stand with Israel against the terrorists.

“The unconscionable killings of unarmed civilians at the hands of terrorists cannot go unpunished.”

New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli and Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice today announced the guilty plea of retired Suffolk County Police Detective Sergeant Terrance Hoffman for taking $465,647 in illegal pension payments from the New York State and Local Police and Fire Retirement System.

New York State Comptroller Thomas P.