Majority Leader Annabi Continues Push for Closer Scrutiny and Stricter Safeguards for Use of Public Funds

YONKERS, NY -- Majority Leader Sandy Annabi (D - District 2), has introduced two legislative proposals this month aimed at increasing the accountability of grantees of City funds. The first, which was prompted by the alleged, sizable theft from the South Broadway Business Improvement District (BID), is on the Council Agenda for a vote by the entire Yonkers City Council at their regular meeting, Tuesday, March 25, 2008. The second resolution deals with examining methods for stricter controls on the City side, which would ideally be universal to all applicants and grantees, as well as requiring stricter accounting practices by grantees.

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Majority Leader Annabi said, “The focus of the first resolution, originally introduced by me and Councilmember Joan Gronowski (D – Dist. 3), was refined in the Legislation & Codes Committee with the help of Inspector General Phil Zissman and the City’s Law Department. We have now structured it to establish the Inspector General’s role in helping to assure greater confidence in the existing checks and balances safeguarding public money being used by grantees. The Yonkers City Council will be voting on this resolution on March 25, directing the Inspector General’s office to develop and perform a systematic operational review of all agencies receiving grants. Due to the recent alleged embezzlement, the South Broadway B.I.D. will serve as the first agency for the operational review.”

Continuing, Majority Leader Annabi said, “While it is very disheartening that problems like theft occur even in institutions that are supposed to promote the public welfare, we have an opportunity here to fix what allegedly went wrong. We will be requiring strict financial control of grant funds, to demonstrate to the taxpayers that public funds are being safeguarded. We can take existing procedures and regulations and fine tune them to increase public confidence and the accountability of people with access to public funds.”

The legislation seeks to require that demonstrated safeguards are in place as a condition of receiving any grants or public funding.

“The second resolution pushes for stricter oversight by the City and stricter accounting practices within the grantee organizations. The Legislation & Codes Committee met on March 18 to speak with the Commissioner of the Planning Department and the City’s Auditors for a preliminary review of existing guidelines and for potential improvements. The Committee will continue to review and refine this legislation in the coming weeks,” Annabi concluded.

The Committee will next meet on April 1, 2008.

Comments

Hey YFD Chief Fitzpatrick - Are you starting to feel the heat and begin sweating? Maybe someone is now going to start looking into your expensive toys and demand that they be re-allocated throughout Westchester County.

Let's also try some stricter oversight of the Mayor's personal bank: the Yonkers IDA.
Meeting today to discuss litigation.
What's that all about?

Regular Meeting
of the
Yonkers Industrial Development Agency
Agenda
March 25, 2008 at 8:30 a.m.
1) Oath of Office for Board Members
2) Roll Call
3) Minutes for the January 16, 2008 Meeting
4) Approval of 2007 Draft Audit
5) Approval of Treasurer’s Reports for January 2008 and February 2008
6) Approval of Correction to Inducement Resolution for Ashburton Avenue
Originally approved at the November 28, 2007 meeting
7) Legal Updates
􀂃 Executive Session - Litigation
8) Other Business
9) Adjournment

Isn't Annabi on the Board of the South Broadway BID? Shouldn't she have known that the p/t accountant was stealing from the organization on which Sandy serves? Seems like this legislation is just a smoke screen to cover up the Majority Leader's lack of leadership.