Comptroller's Year in Review
Dear Neighbor,
My team and I in the Nassau County Comptroller’s Office are committed to improving efficiency at the County and serving the people who live, work and do business in Nassau. Here are some of the ways we’ve served the people of Nassau County in 2024.
Nassau Forward
Our office is leading a County-wide, multi-year project known as Nassau Forward to replace Nassau’s Integrated Financial System (NIFS), which was implemented back in 1999. The current financial system no longer meets the County’s needs and in fact it is so old that it cannot be updated.
We will be implementing the County’s first Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system over the next 2-3 years. It will be a platform that manages and integrates all of the software and processes necessary for the financial operations of the government in a single system. Everything from Accounts Payable and Accounts Receivable to Grant Management and Purchasing will be in sync, utilizing modern software and a single source of unified data.
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In 2024, the Nassau Forward team dedicated 4,100 hours to:
- Review 7 vendor proposals
- Select 3 vendors to come in and provide product demonstrations
- Conduct 5 reference interviews for each of the 3 vendors
- Meet, review, discuss and select a vendor, CGI.
Another 1,500 hours were spent developing hundreds of pages of documents that make up the Contract and Statements of Work.
 Improving Efficiency
Modernizing Petty Cash
Following a county-wide review of petty cash, the Comptroller’s Office, in collaboration with Nassau County Treasurer David Chiang, implemented a P-card system that replaced old-school petty cash boxes with tightly controlled spending cards that have built-in controls on spending.
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Tighter Controls on Payments for Temporary Housing
A review by my Field Audit team of the County’s payments to hotels and motels for emergency shelter revealed an opportunity to tighten up financial controls by reducing the use of cash cards for clients for temporary shelter. Our work paved the way for the Department of Social Services to convert the cash card system to a reimbursement basis whereby the County pays the hotels/motels for temporary housing after client stays have been verified.
Field Audits
In addition to the audits and reviews noted above, my team conducted reviews, including:
- Review of the Town of North Hempstead Building Department Permitting Process, which provided a roadmap for the Town to begin improving operations, efficiency and constituent satisfaction.
Electronic Vendor Payment Processing
I’m pleased to report that as of April 1, 2024, 100% of vendors’ claims for contract payments are processed via the eClaims online payment processing portal.
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Additional actions by my office to improve efficiency in 2024 include:
- Continually enhancing cybersecurity and vendor account security.
- Leading the initiative to consolidate County E-Z Pass accounts, streamline payments and centralize oversight.
- Implementation of an online tool for retirees to attest to their eligibility for benefits, replacing a letter and mail-in system.
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Supporting Nassau County Employees
- In 2024, members of my Payroll and Health Benefits Division calculated and implemented compensation and benefits changes brought about by new collective bargaining agreements that affect more than 5,900 Nassau County union members. Calculations and execution included salary increases, benefits adjustments, bonuses and retroactive pay, dating back to when the contracts expired in 2018.
- In 2024, we implemented a 401(a) Special Pay Plan as an additional retirement benefit for eligible employees. Depositing severance/termination pay into the 401(a) account saves both the employee and the County money.
- We also re-established a retirement benefit under Section 41-J of New York State’s Retirement and Social Security Law (RSSL), which allows unused, unpaid sick leave to count as service time for the purpose of calculating retirement benefits once the employee is pension eligible.
Supporting Those Who Do Business with the County
- In 2024, our Vendor Claims Division processed approximately 135,000 payments to Nassau County vendors, 1,200 purchase orders and 1,000 contracts. They also created and distributed a “Non-profit Claims Checklist” to help not-for-profit organizations get their claims for funds processed more efficiently.
- Following a review of the Nassau County Bar Association’s Assigned Counsel Defender Plan (18-B) Claims Processing, the Comptroller’s Office implemented process improvements that led to the reduction of processing time for payments to attorneys for indigent clients from several months to 10 days or less.
- The Comptroller’s Office offered fraud prevention training for non-profit organizations in Nassau County to help them reduce their risk for hacking or digital theft.
More Data-Driven Projects
The Comptroller’s Office looks at Nassau County through the lens of data, with a focus on how our taxpayer dollars are being spent.
- In 2024, the Comptroller’s team worked with members of the County’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Museums to analyze how much of the County’s budget goes to parks, preserves, recreation and museums, how the money is spent, and what our residents get for the investment.
- Talented college interns, mentored by the Comptroller’s data analyst, did a deep dive into the impact of grieving residential property assessments.
- The Comptroller’s team conducted an analysis of the County’s revenue sources, spending and the distribution of property taxes (County/Town/Schools etc.) and communicated the results to taxpayers in an easy-to-read mailer in October.
- In collaboration with the Nassau Council of Chambers of Commerce, we continued to grow the Nassau County Senior Discount Program that I launched in 2023. We’ve invited businesses across Nassau to register for inclusion in a directory of Senior Discounts that we’ve published online and in print. We now have more than 300 participating businesses, everything from beauty salons to veterinary care! The businesses get a decal for their window and exposure on social media, and seniors know where they can find the best discounts.
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 Community Outreach
With transparency and accountability in government as two of my core values, I enjoy going out to meet with Nassau County residents and businesses. Throughout the year, I visited groups including:
- Senior centers and civic associations
- Chambers of Commerce and business associations
- Schools and houses of worship.
 Clockwise from upper left: Nassau County Veterans Picnic, Vision Long Island Smart Growth meeting, Empire State Afterschool Program in Hempstead, Northwest Civic Association of Hicksville.
There I spoke about the County’s finances, property taxes, the impact of grieving your property assessment, the role of sales tax in the Nassau County economy, how to access New York State’s Unclaimed Funds repository and more.
I also work closely with the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots program to deliver toys to organizations that serve families who may not be able to afford toys for their children.
 Toy deliveries to (l.-r.) Healing Hearts of Hempstead, Grenville Baker Boys & Girls Club, EAC Network.
Major Financial Reports
My Accounting Division does an exceptional job of preparing and publishing a host of comprehensive annual reports that provide detailed insight into Nassau County’s financial operations, fiscal health, assets and liabilities. These include the:
- Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR)
- Popular Annual Financial Report (PAFR)
- Mid-Year Report on Nassau County's Financial Condition
- Proposed Budget: Review of Risks & Opportunities
- Single Audit Report required for Federal Grants
- Report to New York State Department of Transportation (DOT) on Nassau’s State Transportation Operating Assistance (STOA)
Awards & Recognition
I’m pleased to report that in 2024, Nassau County was once again awarded the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) Award for Outstanding Achievement in Popular Annual Financial Reporting. This award, for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022, locks in the County’s continued standing as a GFOA Triple Crown winner with a Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting, a Popular Annual Financial Reporting (PAFR) Award, and the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award (attributable to the County’s Office of Management and Budget, OMB).
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Math Accounting & Finance Awards
In April 2024, I had the distinct pleasure of honoring 76 Nassau County high school students at our annual Comptroller’s Math, Accounting and Finance Award ceremonies. The award program was created to recognize high school juniors and seniors who have strong academic records and a demonstrated interest in the subject areas of math, accounting and finance – essential skills in both government and the private sector.
 Recipients of the 2024 Comptroller's Math, Accounting and Finance Awards - high school seniors on the left and juniors on the right.
Looking Ahead
Moving into 2025, my team and I remain committed to ensuring accountability and transparency in Nassau County and continuing to improve efficiency and uncover and prevent waste and fraud. We will continue to protect the taxpayer dollars of Nassau’s 1.4 million people – and we will do so with excellence and integrity.
If you have any questions, please feel free to call or email my office: (516) 571-2386 or NCcomptroller@nassaucountyny.gov.
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