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Press Releases
September 19, 2024
Nassau County Comptroller Elaine Phillips and her team have modernized the County’s petty cash system, eliminating the use of an antiquated cash box system and replacing it with tightly controlled departmental purchasing/petty cash P-Cards. Read more here.
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July 15, 2024
The Nassau County Comptroller’s Office has released the County’s Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR) for the fiscal year ended on December 31, 2023. In addition, the Comptroller’s Office released the Popular Annual Financial Report (PAFR), which provides a user-friendly summary of the ACFR and the County’s finances, operations, and economy. Read more here.
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June 17, 2024
The Nassau County Comptroller’s Office is pleased to announce that after paying down more than $400 million in major liabilities in 2023, the County ended the year with a surplus of almost $19.6 million in the five major funds that comprise the County’s 2023 Budget. Read more here.
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February 27, 2024
The Office of the Nassau County Comptroller has released its report on an audit of the Town of North Hempstead (TONH) Building Department. Initiated by a request from TONH Supervisor Jennifer DeSena, the audit was focused on the Building Department’s permitting process, the function determined to be of greatest concern to local residents and businesspeople. Findings include problems with the implementation of an online portal for Building Department permit applications, operational inefficiencies within the Department, insufficient communication between the Building Department and permit applicants, and a negative impact of the bifurcation of the Town’s government during the audit period. Read more here.
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January 11, 2024
The Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA) has once again awarded Nassau County the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting for Nassau’s Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR) for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022. This is the 39th consecutive recognition of Nassau’s ACFR. Read more here.
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December 7, 2023
The Comptroller’s office has completed an audit of the Licensing Division of the Nassau County Department of Consumer Affairs. The audit was launched in 2022 in response to reports of backlogs of thousands of professional license applications during the previous administration. The audit found that mismanagement in 2019-2021 led to the major backlog. Read more here.
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November 8, 2023Comptroller Phillips responds to NIFA regarding the continuation of the control period, and to Newsday regarding its support of it. NIFA does it again, using inaccurate projections and pessimistic predictions to perpetuate an unjustified control period over Nassau County. Click here to read the facts.
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October 23, 2023
Nassau County Comptroller Elaine Phillips is pleased to announce the launch of phase one of a new Nassau County Senior Discount Program. In collaboration with the Nassau Council of Chambers of Commerce, the Comptroller invites businesses in Nassau County to register for inclusion on a forthcoming directory of Senior Discounts within the County.
Phase one features the launch of a sign-up portal where local businesses can register for inclusion in the Senior Discount Program. Registration is free and the program is open to all Nassau County businesses. Read more here.
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October 19, 2023
Nassau County has earned a score of zero – a perfect score – from the NYS Comptroller's Office Fiscal Stress Monitoring System. This indicates the County is under no fiscal stress and not susceptible to fiscal stress at this time. Read more here.
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June 28, 2023
The Nassau County Comptroller’s Office has released the County’s Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR) and Popular Annual Financial Report (PAFR) for the fiscal year ended on December 31, 2022. For the 4th consecutive year, the County ended its fiscal year with a surplus. Nassau closed the books on 2022 with $435.2 million surplus in governmental funds. Read more here.
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May 31, 2023
Nassau County has been awarded the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) Award for Outstanding Achievement in Popular Annual Financial Reporting (PAFR Award). This award, for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021, locks in the County’s continued standing as a GFOA Triple Crown winner with Certificates of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting, Popular Annual Financial Reporting Award, and the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award. Read more here.
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May 1, 2023
Nassau County Comptroller Elaine Phillips announced refunds totaling $1,583,000 to the City of Glen Cove and the Glen Cove City School District. The refunds resolved Glen Cove’s overpayment of Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILOTs) to the County from 2010 to 2021. Read more here.
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April 25, 2023
Nassau County Comptroller Elaine Phillips has announced that her office will commence a review of Nassau County’s utilization of local motels and hotels for emergency shelter for eligible County residents. In 2022, 17 hotel/motels were used by the Nassau County Department of Social Services for emergency housing placements at a total cost of $3,053,278 to the County. Read more about the upcoming audit here.
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March 24, 2023
Nassau County Comptroller’s Office Announces Audit Results for Town of Hempstead Sanitary District No. 7
Results and Recommendations Will Guide District Leadership Toward Better Management. Read more here.
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January 12, 2023
Review of the 2020/2021 Reassessment
The Office of Nassau County Comptroller Elaine Phillips has completed a Review of the 2020/2021 Reassessment of properties. Read more here.
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December 21, 2022
Nassau County Comptroller’s Office Announces Audit Results for Broken But Not Destroyed Emergency Shelter Provider
The audit of the Franklin Square, NY based non-profit organization exposed numerous significant issues in the organization’s operations, including ongoing violations of contractual and regulatory requirements. Read more here.
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November 23, 2022
The Nassau County Comptroller’s Office is working hard to get money into the hands of non-profit organizations who serve the County’s most vulnerable residents. We’re improving efficiency in our office and reducing the time it takes to issue funds to health and human service providers, social services and housing assistance programs.
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September 19, 2022
Comptroller Elaine Phillips announces a new initiative to replace NIFS, the Nassau Integrated Financial System.
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August 22, 2022
Statement by Nassau County Comptroller Elaine Phillips: Numbers Don't Lie... But They May Not Tell the Whole Truth
It is time to allow the officials who were elected by the people of Nassau County to govern.
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August 5, 2022
Nassau County Comptroller Elaine Phillips Releases the 2022 Mid-Year Report on the County’s Financial Condition
On August 4, 2022, Nassau County Comptroller Elaine Phillips released the 2022 Mid-Year Report on the County’s Financial Condition, which provides year-to-date financial results using Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), compares them to the 2022 Adopted Budget, and offers projections for the remainder of fiscal year 2022. The report shows the County is on track to generate a GAAP surplus, estimated at $32.8 million in the three primary operating funds, which will further strengthen the County’s overall financial condition. The report is focused on the County’s “three primary operating funds,” consistent with GAAP accounting, and identifies potential risks and opportunities to the fiscal year’s adopted budget.
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July 14, 2022
Nassau County Comptroller: Report on the First Six Months: Eliminating Waste, Fraud and Inefficiency – Restoring Integrity and Trust in Government
In her first six months in office, Nassau County Comptroller Elaine Phillips assembled an expert team with deep and broad financial and government experience and began to tackle some of the County’s most significant financial issues. Work is underway to replace the antiquated Nassau County Integrated Financial System (NIFS) and audits are underway in the Department of Assessment, Department of Consumer Affairs and more. Read more here.
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June 30, 2022
The Office of the Nassau County Comptroller Closes the County’s 2021 Books with a $480 Million Surplus
On June 30, 2022, the Nassau County Comptroller’s Office released the County’s Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (“ACFR”) for the fiscal year ended on December 31, 2021. The County’s fiscal year 2021 ended with a surplus of $480 million in the Governmental Funds, attributed primarily to higher sales tax revenues and savings related to lower debt service.
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June 22, 2022
Nassau County Comptroller’s Office Delivers $300,000 in Back Pay to City of Long Beach
On May 3, 2022, Long Beach City Council President Karen McInnis, Council member John Bendo and former Council member Michael Delury, met with Comptroller Phillips to discuss $300,000 owed to the City of Long Beach for bus service from January 1, 2018 to December 31, 2021. The payment for the bus service, which connects the barrier island’s east end with the Long Beach LIRR station and downtown area, was approved and released on May 21, less than three weeks later.
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At a meeting of the Nassau County Living Wage Advisory Committee on May 10, 2022, Comptroller Elaine Phillips presented the County’s Living Wage Law 2021 Annual Report. Members of the committee, Comptroller Elaine Phillips and members of the Comptroller’s staff discussed recent advances in compensation for County employees and employees of vendors working under contract with the County.
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March 2nd, 2022
Comptroller Elaine Phillips Announces Audit of the Backlogged Nassau County Department of Consumer Affairs
Nassau County Comptroller Elaine Phillips announced today that she has directed her office to audit the Nassau County Department of Consumer Affairs. The audit will examine the operation of the Department including licensing procedures, management and staffing under the previous administration in light of reports of backlogs and mismanagement that appears to have negatively impacted the way business owners operate in Nassau County.
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February 15th, 2022
Comptroller Elaine Phillips Announces New Review of Nassau County's Confusing and Complex Property Assessment System
Nassau County Comptroller Elaine Phillips today announced a number of new reviews relating to the county's Department of Assessment. The audit will cover Assessment Rolls for the years 2021 through 2021, as well as the department's application of the five-year phase-in.
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January 26, 2022
Elaine Phillips Becomes First Woman to Serve as Nassau County Comptroller
As the first woman elected to serve as Nassau County Comptroller, I am an example that with hard work and determination anyone can enjoy success and achieve their dreams. It is truly an honor and a privilege to once again serve the residents of Nassau County.
In July 2024, Comptroller Phillips delivered toys to:
- WIC, the Special Supplemental Food Program for Women, Infants and Children in Hempstead,
- Grenville Baker Boys and Girls Club in Locust Valley, and
- The Pediatric Child Life Program at Mt. Sinai South Nassau Hospital in Oceanside.
The toys were made available by the U.S. Marine Corps Toys for Tots program.
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On June 17, 2024, Comptroller Elaine Phillips was pleased to announce that after paying down more than $400 million in major liabilities in 2023, Nassau County ended the year with a surplus of almost $19.6 million in the five major funds that comprise the County’s 2023 Budget. News12 Reports:
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On February 27, 2024, Comptroller Phillips released an audit of the Town of North Hempstead Building Department Permitting Process. The news was published in Newsday, Long Island Business News and numerous local papers. The Comptroller's report provided comprehensive insight and recommendations, which can serve as a roadmap for the Town as they make improvements in the Building Department's operations.
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In February 2024, Nassau County Comptroller Elaine Phillips published a powerful article about fiscal responsibility for the struggling Nassau University Medical Center. It appeared in Anton’s Community Newspapers, the Long Island Heralds, the North Shore Leader, and Long Island Business News. You can read the essay here.
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A sixth degree black belt, Comptroller Phillips is an ardent supporter of empowering girls and women. In the photo below, Comptroller Phillips teaches a self defense workshop to Girl Scout Troop 512 in Nassau County.
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In September 2024, Comptroller Elaine Phillips was part of a delegation that traveled to Israel to meet local leaders, learn more about life and business in Israel, and explore ways to fight antisemitism.
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In October, 2023, Comptroller Phillips, in collaboration with the Nassau Council of Chambers of Commerce, launched a new Nassau County Senior Discount Program. The program is a win-win for Nassau's 300,000 senior residents and 45,000 small businesses, providing money-saving opportunities for older adults and the opportunity for higher visibility and new customers for local businesses.
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On July 13, 2023, Comptroller Phillips explained the different ways of calculating the County's year-end financial position in a letter to the editor of Newsday.
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On May 1, 2023, Nassau County Comptroller Elaine Phillips announced refunds totaling $1,583,000 for the City of Glen Cove and the Glen Cove City School District. The refunds resolved Glen Cove's accidental overpayment of Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILOTs) to the County from 2010 to 2021.
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Comptroller Elaine Phillips Talks with Residents and Business Owners About the 2020-21 Reassessment of Property Values
Nassau County Comptroller Elaine Phillips has been meeting with civic groups and chambers of commerce across the County to talk with residents and business owners about the 2020-21 Reassessment of property values. Here’s a write up of one of her recent talks, all of which have been followed by lively and candid Q&As.
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On January 12, 2023, the Comptroller's Office released a review of the 2020/2021 Reassessment of the County’s 386,000 residential and 37,000 commercial properties, which was conducted in 2018. Auditors found numerous significant issues including that the reassessment, which was conducted in a condensed timeframe, was done using flawed data, lacked quality control, and involved multiple unexplained changes to property valuations by the Administration. Proper analysis of the impact of the Reassessment and Phase-In Exemption on taxpayers could have prevented deep inequities in tax burdens, including multiple high value properties paying little to no property taxes and owners of properties with identical assessed values paying vastly different taxes. The people of Nassau County deserve better.
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On November 17, 2022, Comptroller Elaine Phillips was honored by Long Island Business News (LIBN) as a recipient of the LIBN 2022 Business and Finance Awards. The awards recognize leadership and contributions of Long Island's top business and finance professionals.
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Comptroller Phillips highlights the problem with the Nassau County Interim Financial Authority (NIFA)'s Control Period. Newsday, October 30, 2022
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"Phillips Is The Taxpayers' Advocate"
by Frank Rizzo, Anton Media Group. April 6-12, 2022