DA’s Office authors legislation to create independent inspector general for County contracting process
MINEOLA, N.Y. – Acting Nassau County District Attorney Madeline Singas wrote to the Nassau County Legislature today urging the body to pass legislation strengthening oversight of the County’s contract review process, including one bill authored by prosecutors that creates an independent Inspector General for contracts, a recommendation first made by the DA’s Office in July and mirrored by a County Executive’s panel on Friday.
“Because the 2016 Nassau County Budget is being drafted now, and will be reviewed by the County Legislature by October 30, 2015, there is no time to wait,” Acting DA Singas wrote in a letter delivered to County Legislature Presiding Officer Norma Gonsalves today. “If the Legislature fails to act now and budget for an independent county inspector general, the taxpayers will be left for another year without proper real-time oversight of county contracts.”
Acting DA Singas made numerous recommendations to reform the County’s contract process in July, including the creation of an advisory panel to the County Executive, the creation of an independent Inspector General for contracts, the adoption of electronic databases to help track and vet vendors and contracts, and greater financial transparency. Several of these recommendations have now been embraced, including the creation of an advisory panel, and that panel’s recommendation for independent oversight of contracts.
Acting DA Singas’ full letter to Presiding Officer Gonsalves, as well as the legislation authored by her office to create an independent Inspector General for contracts, are attached.