Mayor Outlines Court Case to Get Comptroller to Do Her Job

The court case to force Comptroller Deborah Reynolds to do her job — pay the city’s bills among other things — will be in front of Judge Susan Cacace in state Supreme Court in White Plains on Wednesday, December 5, 2018.

Let me give you a preview by asking: Are any of you aware of a city whose police department can’t get its cell phones repaired or upgraded because the Comptroller won’t pay the bill?

That’s the case in Mount Vernon, and it is just one example of how the Comptroller is putting the residents of the city at risk.

In a nutshell:

· Work is not getting done, which is what happens when you don’t pay people.

· Operations could be halted, which is what happens when required paper work is not filed with the appropriate agencies.

· Visibility into the city’s financial condition is extremely limited, which is what happens when you have a Comptroller that is not sharing information — information that is needed to run the city.

We have also petitioned the governor. Outside intervention is needed because Comptroller Reynolds is an elected official representing a separate branch of Mount Vernon government. She does not report to the Mayor or the City Council, so we need to take these extraordinary measures.

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The first thing we are asking the court to do is to order the Comptroller to open her books so elected officials and the public can get an accurate picture of the city’s finances. Problems have been festering all year. Now they are erupting.

For example, on October 12, the New York State Comptroller’s office notified the city that Comptroller Reynolds had failed to submit required filings with respect to the state’s constitutional tax limits. Although the Comptroller claimed to have remedied the situation as of Nov. 1, the city received a second notice on Nov. 15 that that was not the case.

Without these forms in place, the city cannot adopt a budget for 2019.

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The unpaid bill problem dates back to when Comptroller Reynolds’ arrival in office in January. Since then, the backlog of unpaid bills has increased 10-fold to more than $1 million. Areas disrupted by late and non-payments include:

· The Police Department: Officers cannot get their department cell phones upgraded and repaired because the city’s account is more than 60 days delinquent.

· The Planning Department: The Comptroller refused to fund the Planning Commissioner’s salary; even after it was approved by the City Council and Board of Estimate.

· Mail Room: A freeze was placed on the city’s postage account because no payment had been made since July. No postage equals no mail. Our postage was restored only as of last week, after the Comptroller wired in the funds. But, we still don’t have any copy paper for the mailroom/duplication center, and all the departments are out of paper.

· Public Works: Late bills for two bucket trucks, environmental testing, and repair parts total more than $130,000. This resulted in one bucket truck being repossessed, the other being held until repair bills are paid, and critical parts suppliers no longer doing business with the city. Even the city’s tree truck was in danger of repossession.

One final point. The City Council must decide whether Comptroller Reynolds can stay in office without being insured. Our Charter is clear. It requires the Council to either waive the insurance provision or enforce it.

A waiver would place the risks and liabilities on taxpayers. I believe should the Council should act quickly and enforce the provision.

The city needs to be protected. And, that’s why we are in court.