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.