Reports

The purpose of this report is to determine the extent of implementation of the five recommendations included in our initial audit report, Use, Collection, and Reporting of Infection Control Data (Report Number: 2020-S-55). The five recommendations included four recommendations to the Department of Health and one to the Governor.

New York City is the largest municipality by population in both New York State and the United States. The City is also the main economic engine of the State, a powerhouse that sits at the center of one of the largest metropolitan economies in the world. While the COVID-19 pandemic initially reversed the City’s progress of the years prior to the pandemic, its economy has since rebounded. This reference document includes major demographic, economic and fiscal indicators that highlight New York City’s contribution to the State. Indicators are provided, where available, going back to 2017 and...

This report examines the damage the pandemic has inflicted on the restaurant, retail, and recreation sectors, and considers the distribution of federal funds for businesses in the City, particularly for businesses in low- and moderate-income communities and in historically underutilized business zones. While approaches to targeting federal funding have improved, the City and the State have already recognized that they need to do more to assist the City’s disadvantaged businesses. The state of these sectors suggests support may be necessary for some time for them to fully recover.

This report is a summary of the costs related to responding to the pandemic that the Ulster County Comptroller’s Office was able to aggregate from existing reported financial and personnel data for 2020. The County continues to incur substantial costs in the current year 2021, many of which are offset by pandemic related revenue streams, such as the cost of operating vaccination clinics. We have reviewed the 2020 expenditures to assist in both improving the accounting for these costs and potentially identifying and obtaining revenues to offset these costs.

This report details the growth in Medicaid enrollment before and during the pandemic, as well as evaluating those enrollment changes in relation to the economy’s performance. The report also evaluates risks that could result from more enrollees remaining on Medicaid than projected, and offers recommendations for policy makers as we strive to effectively manage this essential program.

The COVID-19 pandemic drove the Office of the New York State Comptroller to move forward creatively and identify new ways to tap into and analyze data. Auditors and examiners pursued increased data analysis and used a wider variety of data sources in audit planning and risk assessment, including the Statewide Financial System, First New York data warehouse, New York Benefits Eligibility and Accounting System, CVS Health, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration, as well as internal State agency data.

This report details the operation of the New York State UI system, the recent history and specific impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Trust Fund, and steps that can be taken to replenish the Trust Fund balance. Working together, New York State, participating employers and the federal government can develop solutions that restore the Trust Fund while allowing the ongoing economic recovery to continue.

Millions of Americans still face housing insecurity as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, with nearly 15 percent behind on rent payments at the end of June.1 Households in New York State (22 percent) and the New York City metropolitan area (26 percent), excluding counties outside the State, have an even greater share of residents behind on rent. New York City not only houses the majority of the State’s renters (63 percent), but also had relatively high rates of rent-burdened tenants prior to the pandemic.

This interim report is being issued as part of an ongoing investigation by the Office of the New York City Comptroller into the City’s planning and preparation for and response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The goal of this investigation is to identify the problems encountered by the City preparing for and combatting the pandemic and to recommend actions to prevent similar fiscal and operational challenges from arising in future public health emergencies.

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Bronx was on a trajectory of growth. It attracted new residents, particularly immigrants, at a higher rate than any other borough, and experienced solid improvement in employment and new businesses. In spite of these trends, most Bronx neighborhoods faced higher risks for negative health and economic outcomes from the pandemic. Characteristics that reflect economic and social inequities, such as lower household incomes, higher poverty rates, jobs less conducive to remote work and a higher share of minority residents, made the Bronx particularly vulnerable.

The COVID-19 pandemic brought a halt to the growth of the construction industry nationwide which, prior to the pandemic, had been growing strongly. This was especially true in New York State and New York City. Before 2020, the nation’s construction employment increased for nine consecutive years, though it never met the peak reached before the Great Recession. However, in the State and the City, jobs reached a record high by 2015. Construction employment in the City grew especially robustly, rising by 43.5 percent from 2011 to 2019, the City’s fastest-growing sector during this period.

The Comptroller’s Office surveyed Ulster residents on potential uses of the American Rescue Plan funds. The survey was promoted on social media from March 24 through May 3, 2021, and in electronic newsletters to the Comptroller’s Office distribution lists. Two hundred and twelve people responded. Respondents were provided with 14 potential options for the use of funds and asked to grade each on a score of 1 to 10.

This report examines the use of overtime by New York State agencies over the past ten calendar years.1 The total cost of overtime in calendar year 2020 reached an all-time high at more than $850 million, covering roughly 19.1 million overtime hours worked. Certain agencies experienced major spikes in overtime due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but most overtime was performed in agencies that have typically relied upon it.

This report summarizes identity theft trends in New York during the coronavirus pandemic.

New York City is a top global destination for visitors drawn to its museums, entertainment, restaurants and commerce. The City is also host to conventions and trade shows, and major athletic events such as the New York City Marathon and the U.S. Open. The industry experienced strong growth in employment and wages in the decade preceding 2020. OSC estimates the industry lost nearly a third of its employment in 2020. Visitors and their spending are not projected to reach pre-pandemic levels before 2025. Employment is unlikely to rebound fully before visitor spending.

As 2020 began, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) was already facing challenges in balancing its budget, along with missed capital commitment goals, capital funding risks and escalating debt service costs. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated these troubling trends. The MTA was able to balance its 2020 and 2021 budgets with federal emergency relief and funds that had been earmarked for capital purposes. The authority now faces out-year gaps it intends to close with additional federal aid and borrowed funds, and it must advance a capital program that has barely started.

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the level of employment, the number of establishments and total wages in the arts, entertainment and recreation sector had each expanded significantly over the past decade, growing at a much faster rate than for all sectors citywide. In March 2020, the response to the public health crisis forced the entire sector to close. While some venues, such as outdoor botanical gardens, zoos, museums and gyms, have reopened at reduced capacity, many establishments remain closed because of the health risks associated with attendance at live events. Arts, entertainment and...

Since March 2020, Congress has passed various laws designed to curb the spread of COVID-19 and mitigate the pandemic’s damage to the nation’s economy. One of the key legislative provisions was the creation of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), designed mainly to help small businesses and sole proprietors meet payroll commitments during the crisis. The program has been allocated a total of $953 billion in three rounds of funding in March ($349 billion), April ($320 billion), and December ($284 billion). This report evaluates the impact of the PPP in New York City measured against the...

New York City is one of the world’s premier shopping destinations, topping “best of” lists and drawing visitors from across the globe. The retail sector is a vital part of New York City’s economic and social landscape, with businesses ranging from corner grocery stores to renowned department stores in locations across the City, from neighborhood commercial areas to Manhattan’s major retail corridors. The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the retail trade sector unevenly, with online retailers and some essential businesses experiencing growth and other large retail segments seeing falling revenues...

The COVID-19 pandemic has created a fiscal emergency for the City of New York, creating significant revenue shortfalls and increased costs associated with managing the public health crisis. Federal relief funding has been inadequate in helping resolve the budget gaps emerging from the fiscal emergency. In response, the City has requested since May that its Transitional Finance Authority (TFA) be provided with authorization by the State Legislature to borrow up to $5 billion to maintain spending and make up for lost revenues not reimbursed by the federal or State government, a practice referred...

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted the securities industry in New York City, affecting both operations and profitability. After a period of market turmoil in March, monetary stimulus and fiscal relief actions have injected massive liquidity into the economy and buoyed industry profitability. Much of the industry’s work force began working remotely in March. The industry has remained relatively stronger than other sectors, which have experienced a more severe downturn (i.e., hotels, bars, restaurants and retail).

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) is facing the greatest challenge in its history. On March 1, 2020, New York City reported its first confirmed case of COVID-19, a highly contagious respiratory disease. In the weeks that followed, the caseload grew rapidly in New York City and the downstate region, and the novel coronavirus then spread across the nation. The MTA forecasts budget deficits of $3.4 billion in 2020, $6.3 billion in 2021, $3.8 billion in 2022, $2.8 billion in 2023 and $3.1 billion in 2024. The July Plan’s projected budget gaps are historic in nature. The gap in 2021...

Since March 2020, the restaurant industry has been hit very hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. Mandatory closures, stay-at-home and social distancing orders, the onset of a severe economic recession, and travel restrictions have resulted in unprecedented upheaval for the industry. As a result, many restaurants and bars have closed or significantly reduced their operations. Since these establishments often operate on tight margins in the best of times, there are growing fears that many will be forced to close permanently if financial support is not forthcoming.

In March and April 2020, Congress passed four stimulus bills to address the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on the public health system and the economy. As Congress debates additional relief measures, it is worth reviewing the targeting of the initial funding in order to inform new policy to counter the virus and its economic effects. In the third stimulus bill, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, Congress appropriated $150 billion to the Coronavirus Relief Fund (CRF) to provide direct funding to state and local governments. The use of CRF funds is restricted to...