Historic federal pandemic relief funds, though being spent down, continued to boost New York’s balance of payments with Washington, according to a report issued today by State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli. In Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) 2022, New York state generated $361.8 billion in federal taxes and benefited from $383 billion in federal spending. For every tax dollar paid to Washington, the state received $1.06 in return – a favorable per capita balance of payments of $1,076.

New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli today announced the following local government and school audits were issued.

In February, the Office of the State Comptroller approved 1,533 contracts for state agencies and public authorities valued at $4.8 billion and approved nearly 3.4 million payments worth nearly $12.7 billion. The office rejected 176 contracts and related transactions valued at $3.3 billion and more than 6,200 payments valued at more than $22.9 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.

The majority of New York City’s capital projects are over their initial budgets and behind schedule, suggesting better monitoring and reporting could lead to adjustments to improve capital project delivery, according to an analysis released today by State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli.

New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli, trustee of the New York State Common Retirement Fund (Fund), today outlined the Fund’s stewardship priorities for 2024, including setting expectations related to climate risks, diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), workforce management, and ensuring a robust governance framework to promote high levels of accountability. DiNapoli also announced the Fund has updated its proxy voting guidelines and released its 2023 Stewardship Report.

Ongoing staff shortages in juvenile justice centers around New York state are potentially putting youth at risk, according to an audit from New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli. The population in secure juvenile justice facilities has grown, straining staff’s ability to properly assess the physical and mental health of youth at intake as physical altercations, illegal drug use, and incidents of self-harm rise.

New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli today announced the following local government and school audits were issued.

Increasingly, counties across New York state are providing emergency medical services (EMS), amid a drop in EMS workers and inadequate funding, but more state action is needed to ensure localities are able to provide dependable emergency services around the state, according to a report released today by State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli.

State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli today announced that six villages were designated in fiscal stress under the Fiscal Stress Monitoring System (FSMS). DiNapoli’s office evaluated all non-calendar year local governments and designated one village in “significant fiscal stress,” one in “moderate fiscal stress,” and four as “susceptible to fiscal stress.”

The mental health needs of New Yorkers have greatly increased, with 21.1% of adults struggling with mental Illness and 5.1% with a severe mental illness in 2021-2022, according to federal data. Between 2013 and 2022, there was a 23% increase in the number of individuals served by the state’s public mental health system, with nearly 900,000 residents utilizing the services. According to a report by State Comptroller Thomas P.