County Executive Joanie Mahoney Calls A “Foul” On The Comptroller’s Commitment to the Taxpayers
Requests “official review” by the voters and County Legislature
SYRACUSE, N.Y. – After extensive reporting by a local media outlet regarding the Section III referee negotiations revealed that the Comptroller is spending significant time as the lead negotiator for the referees, County Executive Mahoney is calling a “foul” on the Comptroller for his inability to do his current job as County Comptroller.
The County’s financial statements are still not complete. After hearing several news reports earlier this week, it’s become clear the Comptroller is spending more time negotiating for referees instead of doing the job he is paid for by taxpayers. The time has come for the County Legislature to do its job and demand that the Comptroller finish the 2017 financial statements.
County Executive Joanie Mahoney said, “We now know why the Comptroller has failed to get the financial statements done. Between campaigning again for yet another public office and being lead negotiator for the referees, the Comptroller clearly hasn’t made the taxpayers a priority. The failure of the Comptroller to do his job is likely to cost taxpayers money because interests rates are poised to increase. Had the comptroller done his job in a timely manner, taxpayers could spend less for infrastructure improvements.”
The financial statements, sometimes referred to as the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR), are “key” to meeting with the rating agencies to demonstrate Onondaga County’s fiscal condition. Onondaga County received a AAA rating from Fitch last year, which was among the best in the state. With his unprecedented delay, the Comptroller is jeopardizing the fiscal condition of Onondaga County. “The Comptroller makes excuse after excuse said Mahoney. “The truth is that his predecessor managed
to get the financial statements done in early spring. It’s mid-August and not only isn’t the job done but we now see him campaigning for a new job and representing high school referees involved with his side job.”
The Legislature was forced to ban outside income when the Comptroller held several side jobs in the past. The County Ethics Board has tried to hold all full time elected officials to the new law and only the Comptroller has failed to comply.
With interest rates poised to increase and out of respect for the taxpayers of Onondaga County, the County Executive is calling on the Comptroller to focus on his current job until the financial statements are done.
The Comptrollers excuse that he has no deadline is disingenuous. These are the dates the CAFR was completed in previous years:
2008: April 6th, 2009
2009: April 9th, 2010
2010: April 13th, 2011
2011: May 16th, 2012
2012: May 8th, 2013
2013: April 17th, 2014
2014: April 13th, 2015
2015: April 25th, 2016
2016: June 26th, 2017
2017: T.B.D.
The County Comptroller has clearly shown either an inability to manage his office or else a complete disregard for the taxpayers who fund his operations.
As Comptroller, Antonacci should understand the importance of the county’s annual financial statements. The public doesn’t deserve excuses; they deserve to have the job they pay for done right. The Comptroller should respect the taxpayers enough to get the job done or “get out of the game.”