State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli, Madison County District Attorney William Gabor, and New York State Police Superintendent Kevin P. Bruen today announced that former state police mechanic David Relyea has pleaded guilty to felony corrupting the government for the theft of more than $24,000 in auto parts and supplies from the state. The thefts took place between April 2015 and October 2020.

The COVID-19 pandemic has widened the achievement gap that exists for students across the nation. Unprecedented federal funding presents the city of New York with an opportunity to begin closing that gap for the more than one million students attending New York City’s public schools. That opportunity cannot be squandered.

Local government sales tax collections in August were 15.5% higher than they were during the same period in 2020, making it the fifth consecutive month that collections exceeded 2020 results, State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli announced today. Statewide, local collections totaled more than $1.5 billion, up nearly $204 million from August of last year.

The state has made progress in making high-speed connections available to New Yorkers, ranking second in the U.S. in the percentage of the population with broadband available in their neighborhood, but more than one million, or 13.8%, of households do not have access or a subscription to home broadband services, according to a report released today by State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli.

New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli announced today the following audits have been issued.

New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli and Orange County District Attorney David M. Hoovler announced that three former officials of the Orange County Industrial Development Agency (IDA), who pleaded guilty in June to corruption charges, including hiding self-dealing and concealing conflicts of interest, were sentenced today to pay more than $1 million in restitution.

State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli, Franklin County District Attorney Craig Carriero and the New York State Police announced that Bridget Brown, former treasurer of the Essex County Agricultural Society (the Society), has been arrested for allegedly stealing more than $60,000 in funds from the organization which operates the Essex County Fair.

The historic surge in unemployment claims at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic rapidly depleted the New York State Unemployment Insurance (UI) Trust Fund, resulting in the state borrowing from the federal government to pay claims. State UI tax rates have already risen to the highest level permissible under law in 2021. Unless the state or federal government takes significant action, federal UI tax rates on employers will also increase in 2022 and beyond, according to a report issued today by State Comptroller Thomas P.

New York students with disabilities lost partial or full special education services because of school shutdowns and the shift to remote learning during the pandemic that likely exacerbated pre-existing achievement gaps, according to a report released today by New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli.

In July, the Office of the State Comptroller approved 1,440 contracts for state agencies and public authorities valued at $11.1 billion and approved nearly 16.6 million payments worth nearly $13.7 billion. The office rejected 144 contracts and related transactions valued at $242.9 million and more than 5,800 payments valued at more than $25.2 million, primarily for mistakes, insufficient support for charges, and improper payments. More information on these contracts and payments is available at Open Book New York.