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New York State Comptroller's Office

Schools
Proposed School Closures, Reconfiguration Considered In Westchester District Proposed School Closures, Reconfiguration Considered In Westchester District
Proposed School Closures, Reconfiguration Considered In Westchester District Administrators in a Westchester school district have unveiled plans that could see the closure of three schools as part of a broader effort to reorganize district buildings amid declining enrollment and fiscal distress. During a town hall meeting on Friday, Dec. 6, Mount Vernon City School District officials discussed reconfiguration options that include the potential closures of Cecil H. Parker School, Mount Vernon Honor Academy, and Mount Vernon Leadership Academy.  The session, held at Graham School and on Zoom, marked the second community forum on the topic, district officials said…

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by Ben Crnic
News
Ex-Police Officer In Westchester Accused Of Stealing More Than $157K From State Ex-Police Officer In Westchester Accused Of Stealing More Than $157K From State
Ex-Police Officer In Westchester Accused Of Stealing More Than $157K From State A retired Westchester County police officer and a former BOCES criminal justice instructor has been charged with allegedly swindling the state and local retirement system out of more than $157,000. Anthony Sciacca, age 67, of Poughkeepsie, was charged Thursday, July 14, by state Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli, Ulster County District Attorney David J. Clegg, and the state police. After retiring from the Westchester Police Department in 2005, Sciacca became an instructor at Ulster County BOCES teaching criminal justice and earning a salary of over $70,000, DiNapoli said. As a state retiree u…

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by Kathy Reakes
News
NY Man Sentenced For Role In $12M Ponzi Scheme Targeting Nearly 50 Victims NY Man Sentenced For Role In $12M Ponzi Scheme Targeting Nearly 50 Victims
NY Man Sentenced For Role In $12M Ponzi Scheme Targeting Nearly 50 Victims A New York man was sentenced for his role in a $12 million Ponzi scheme that targeted nearly 50 victims from throughout the region and the nation between 2015 and 2017. Long Island resident Matthew Eckstein, age 52, of Syosset, was sentenced on Monday, July 11 to three-and-a-half to 10-and-a-half years in prison. Eckstein originally pleaded guilty to the charges on September 26, 2019, but later withdrew his plea. A new indictment was secured in August 2020, but court closures related to the COVID-19 pandemic further delayed the case. “This defendant preyed upon seniors and hard-working men…

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by Joe Lombardi
Politics
Here's How Much Cuomo Will Be Collecting In Pension Payments Each Month Here's How Much Cuomo Will Be Collecting In Pension Payments Each Month
Here's How Much Cuomo Will Be Collecting In Pension Payments Each Month Andrew Cuomo is no longer sitting inside the Governor’s Mansion in Albany, but he is still collecting a hefty paycheck from New York State. The embattled former governor, who resigned over the summer following an investigation into nearly a dozen of complaints of sexual harassment, received his first pension check last month to the tune of $4,219.11, according to the New York State comptroller’s office. His first payment was sent in October 2021, officials said. Cuomo's annual benefits add up to $50,629.32, which he will get the amount for the rest of his life, plus future cost of living …

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by Zak Failla
News
Tax Collector In Hudson Valley Allegedly Stole More Than $80K For Online Shopping Sprees Tax Collector In Hudson Valley Allegedly Stole More Than $80K For Online Shopping Sprees
Tax Collector In Hudson Valley Allegedly Stole More Than $80K For Online Shopping Sprees A 41-year-old woman has been arrested for allegedly stealing more than $88,000 in tax funds collected for the use of an area town and its schools.  Jennifer Colucci, of Hopewell Junction, was arrested on Tuesday, March 2, following an investigation by the state Comptroller's Office, the Dutchess County District Attorney's Office, and the New York State Police. She served as Beekman tax collector for two years, ending in August 2020. “While people across the state struggled to deal with the economic impact of the pandemic, Jennifer Colucci allegedly used taxpayer dollars to fund her ow…

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by Kathy Reakes
Politics
Mount Vernon Mayor Calls On Westchester DA To Investigate City Finances, Comptroller Mount Vernon Mayor Calls On Westchester DA To Investigate City Finances, Comptroller
Mount Vernon Mayor Calls On Westchester DA To Investigate City Finances, Comptroller Mount Vernon Mayor Shawyn Patterson-Howard is calling on the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office to investigate the city’s finances as it faces a potential budget crunch due to uncooperative officials. Patterson-Howard issued a public letter to District Attorney Miriam Rocah asking for assistance as Mount Vernon faces potential furloughs or layoffs of essential employees if they are forced to slash the budget. Potential cuts would include public safety, civil service, and public works employees. According to Patterson-Howard, the city has been struggling to get information f…

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by Zak Failla
News
Cashless Tolling Will Be Rolled Out On Entire NY Thruway In Less Than Two Years Cashless Tolling Will Be Rolled Out On Entire NY Thruway In Less Than Two Years
Cashless Tolling Will Be Rolled Out On Entire NY Thruway In Less Than Two Years Motorists traveling on the New York State Thruway will no longer have to handle cash when paying tolls, as Gov. Andrew Cuomo has announced a $355 million investment to transition to cashless tolling within two years. This investment will help to implement cashless tolling while removing existing toll booths at a total of 52 Thruway interchanges and barriers. As a result, the more than 267 million motorists traveling the Thruway annually will be able to enjoy “non-stop, streamlined travel.” The plan was approved by New York State Thruway Authority Board of Directors and is expected to be im…

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by Valerie Musson
News
Ex-Chief Sentenced For Stealing $312K From Fire Department In Westchester Ex-Chief Sentenced For Stealing $312K From Fire Department In Westchester
Ex-Chief Sentenced For Stealing $312K From Fire Department In Westchester A former fire chief and police officer will spend time behind bars after admitting to stealing more than $300,000 from a Northern Westchester fire department while he was a treasurer. Gerald Munson, who most recently served as the Croton-on-Hudson FD treasurer, pleaded guilty to grand larceny as a crime of public corruption after admitting to stealing $312,925 from the department earlier this year. On Wednesday, Munson was sentenced to a term of between a year-and-a-half and four-and-a-half years in state prison. Munson must also pay restitution to the fire department. Munson was in Westche…

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by Zak Failla
News
Ex-Chief Admits Stealing $312K From Fire Department In Westchester Ex-Chief Admits Stealing $312K From Fire Department In Westchester
Ex-Chief Admits Stealing $312K From Fire Department In Westchester A former fire chief and police officer has admitted to stealing more than $300,000 from a Northern Westchester fire department while he was a treasurer. Gerald Munson, who most recently served as the Croton-on-Hudson FD treasurer, has pleaded guilty to grand larceny as a crime of public corruption after admitting to stealing $312,925 from the department. Munson was in Westchester County Court on Wednesday. At the time of his plea, he paid $124,383 in restitution, adding to the $25,000 he paid upon his arraignment.  Munson is due to be sentenced on Oct. 29, when he is expected to pay the re…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Hudson Valley Woman Caught Stealing Nearly $42K From State Retirement System Hudson Valley Woman Caught Stealing Nearly $42K From State Retirement System
Hudson Valley Woman Caught Stealing Nearly $42K From State Retirement System A 63-year-old area woman utilized her deceased mother's pension in the New York State retirement system to fraudulently collect nearly $42,000 in payments, state police said. State Police investigators in Poughkeepsie were notified by the Division of Investigations of the New York State Comptroller’s Office regarding the possible larceny of New York State retirement funds.  An investigation discovered the mother of Pleasant Valley resident Bonnie S. Robertson died in 2013.  Robertson, who had joint access to her mother’s state pension account, failed to notify the state retirement fund of …

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by Joe Lombardi
News
Ex-Chief Admits Stealing $312K From Fire Department In Westchester Ex-Chief Admits Stealing $312K From Fire Department In Westchester
Ex-Chief Admits Stealing $312K From Fire Department In Westchester A former fire department chief and police officer is facing up to 25 years behind bars after allegedly stealing more than $300,000 from the department in Northern Westchester. Gerald Munson, who most recently served as the Croton-on-Hudson Fire Department Treasurer, has been arraigned on several charges related to the theft of $312,925 from the department on Wednesday morning in Croton-on-Hudson Village Court. While acting as treasurer, Munson was tasked with maintaining the department’s bank account and financial records, despite having no prior qualifications or background in accounting o…

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by Zak Failla
Schools
Westchester School District Among 26 Flagged As 'Fiscally Stressed' Westchester School District Among 26 Flagged As 'Fiscally Stressed'
Westchester School District Among 26 Flagged As 'Fiscally Stressed' Twenty-six school districts, including two in the Hudson Valley, have been designated as fiscally stressed under New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli's Fiscal Stress Monitoring System.  Rhinebeck Central School District in Dutchess County was flagged as one of seven New York districts that are experiencing "moderate fiscal stress."  Port Chester-Rye Union Free District, which approved a nearly $80 million school construction bond issue last spring and has another one on the ballot next month for major Middle School renovations, was labeled "susceptible to fiscal stre…

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by Jon Craig