Proposes ‘Open Nassau’ website to make office, county finances more accessible
(Long Island, NY) Former Nassau County Comptroller Howard Weitzman blasted George Maragos for failing to turn over public records that were requested from his office on June 24, 2013. The Freedom of Information Act requires government agencies to turn over the vast majority of government documents that are requested by the public.
“What is George Maragos hiding? Apparently he believes he is above the law and can disregard the rules when they are inconvenient,” said Weitzman. “The very person tasked with being the county’s chief fiscal watchdog should conduct business transparently and with integrity.”
A request was filed with the office seeking information about hiring practices, salary information, employee time records, the Comptroller’s public calendar, and various e-mail messages. To date, the only records turned over are employee salary information and partial employee resumes. All resume content was blacked out except the employee’s name and educational background. All prior employment history, the most significant reason why government agencies collect and review resumes, was blacked out. Mr. Maragos’s office stated, without appropriate legal justification, that “portions of the attached resumes containing…employment histories…is not relevant to the work performed by these employees.”
The New York Freedom of Information Law provides that, “The people’s right to know the process of governmental decision-making and to review the documents and statistics leading to determinations is basic to our society. Access to such information should not be thwarted by shrouding it with the cloak of secrecy or confidentiality. The legislature therefore declares that government is the public’s business and that the public, individually and collectively and represented by a free press, should have access to the records of government in accordance with the provisions of this article.”
Under the law, all records created by a government agency are public records with very limited and narrow exceptions. Records are defined under the law as, “any information kept, held, filed, produced or reproduced by, with or for an agency or the state legislature, in any physical form whatsoever including, but not limited to, reports, statements, examinations, memoranda, opinions, folders, files, books, manuals, pamphlets, forms, papers, designs, drawings, maps, photos, letters, microfilms, computer tapes or discs, rules, regulations or codes.”
“As County Comptroller, I will once again make the office a hallmark for transparency,” said Weitzman. “Not only will my administration comply with the law and turn over public records in a timely manner, but we will also proactively make more documents available online.”
Weitzman announced that he would create a new online clearinghouse called Open Nassau that would make records and information more readily available online.
Open Nassau Plan
- An easy to understand and user friendly ledger featuring the complete county budget, a breakdown of revenue sources, all county spending, public employee salary information, all county contracts, and an accounting of proposed savings from audits conducted by the Comptroller’s office.
- A tool for the public to submit ideas for cost savings or audits to save taxpayer dollars.
- An inventory of county contracts granted to women and minority owned businesses.
- A clearinghouse of all county financial statements and reports issued by the Comptroller.
- An online form for submitting Freedom of Information Act requests.
- A budget simulator where citizens can create their own budget and see how various changes impact the overall budget.
Records Maragos Failed to Disclose
- Complete resume information for all non-bargaining unit employees hired during Mr. Maragos’s administration.
– The Maragos administration is refusing to turn over this information to hide a staff full of under-qualified political cronies.
- All records and documentation of time worked (i.e. timesheets, sign in/sign out records, etc.) for all non-bargaining unit employees hired during Mr. Maragos’s administration.
– The Maragos administration is refusing to turn over these records which would verify whether full-time employees are working full-time on behalf of taxpayers.
- All calendars/schedules for Mr. Maragos during his time in office.
– The Maragos administration refuses to turn over these records because Mr. Maragos spent significant time neglecting his duties as Comptroller while running twice for the United States Senate. Releasing his calendar would confirm how much time was spent campaigning.
- All e-mails including Mr. Maragos that include the term(s) or otherwise discuss the topic of ‘Superstorm Sandy’ or ‘Hurricane Sandy’ from October 22, 2012 to June 14, 2013.
– The Maragos administration refuses to turn over these records because there are serious questions surrounding the issuance of contracts and work performed by contractors.
About Howard Weitzman, CPA
In 2001, Howard Weitzman became the only CPA ever elected to the office of Nassau County Comptroller after a 30 year career as a healthcare financial executive. He was subsequently re-elected to a second term in 2005. During his eight years as Comptroller, Howard Weitzman played a central role in the financial rescue of Nassau County. Under Howard’s leadership, the office of Comptroller became a national model for transparency and accountability while at the same time developing a reputation for groundbreaking audits, independence and integrity. A graduate of Brooklyn Technical High School and Queens College, Howard is the former Mayor of Great Neck Estates, where he and his wife resided for 35 years and raised three children. http://www.weitzmanfornassau.com/
