THOMPSON FIGHTS FOR SENIOR SERVICES AND CENTERS

Twice in recent weeks, City Comptroller William C. Thompson, Jr. joined throngs of senior citizens and advocates on the steps of City Hall to call on the New York City Department for the Aging (DFTA) to reevaluate plans to revise service delivery to seniors and ensure that senior centers are not closed under any reorganization.

“City Hall is pushing ahead with a fundamental restructuring of sensitive services that will have ramifications far beyond when the Mayor has left office,” Thompson said. “Regretfully, it appears that these new initiatives are scheduled to be launched after a rather perfunctory public comment period and on the advice of a very limited number of stakeholders.”

After Thompson and advocates pressured City Hall, the administration on April 9 announced that it would significantly change its plan to revise senior services, including a delay in issuing a Request for Proposals.

The Comptroller responded that: “This announcement is good news for the City’s aging population. I thank the Mayor for acknowledging feedback from the community, from my office, and from others across this city who felt passionately about this fundamental restructuring. This postponement will allow the City to bring more people to the table and to develop a more thorough plan, consider additional partnerships, and reduce the burden on the community-based providers.”

THOMPSON CALLS FOR REFORMS IN CITY’S BUDGETING PROCESS

Comptroller Thompson recently announced several actions requested or taken by his office to increase transparency and accountability in the City’s budgeting process.
In a letter to the City Council Speaker, Thompson said pointed out that recent concerns of abuse of discretionary funding requires his office to strengthen its oversight.

The Comptroller noted that his office will now require all agency agreements that are funded by City Council discretionary monies, regardless of amount, be reviewed by the Comptroller’s office before any funds can be disbursed.

Second, the Comptroller’s Office will direct the City’s auditors, Deloitte and Touche, to independently audit the Council’s discretionary fund budget process upon the conclusion of the ongoing investigations by two investigative entities.

Additionally, Thompson strongly urged the City to create a specific budget category for all discretionary funds identified by the City Council. The Council’s Schedule C, which itemizes all organizations and programs that the Council is funding, should also be made publicly available prior to the adoption of the City’s budget, he said.

The Comptroller also requested that any shifts in funding during budget modifications should specifically describe discretionary funded items.