GOP State Senators Demand DiNapoli MTA Audit: ‘Enough’

Republican senators are demanding Democratic State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli to conduct a “forensic examination” of the MTA before the cash-strapped public transit agency gets even more taxpayer money.

“At this point, reaching out to taxpayers should be the last resort, not the first option. We ask, for the purposes of financial integrity, that your office conduct an MTA forensics review to determine what steps they can take to close their annual budget deficit,” reads a March 3 letter to New York’s chief accountant. York.

A call from all 21 GOP members of the 63-seat Democratic-dominated Senate could complicate Gov. Katie Hochul’s efforts to secure $1.3 billion in new MTA funding from the state budget before April 1.

Her $277 billion spending plan would require New York City to pay another $500 million a year to support the MTA’s Access-a-Ride service for the disabled and reduced student fares, and to raise a controversial employer tax – proposals that are also opposed Mayor Eric spoke. Adams and some suburban Democratic MPs.

“Whether it’s the MTA payroll tax or congestion fees, that’s enough. The MTA needs to show some financial responsibility and get its own financial house in order before asking our state’s taxpayers to bail them out,” the letter said.

On Friday, a Dinapoli spokesman did not comment.

The MTA’s finances have come under renewed scrutiny in recent weeks following a shocking January report by The Post that exposed the Long Island Railroad’s lavish $200 million labor costs and criticism of service disruptions caused by the opening of the $11 million Grand Central Madison station. .6 billion dollars in Manhattan.

Republicans in the Senate cited fare evasion as another area of ​​concern for DiNapoli.

“The amount of losses has steadily and rapidly increased over the past few years. This increase has reached a point where the MTA is estimated to have lost more than half a billion dollars last year as a result of non-payment of fares by passengers. Simply installing head-to-toe turnstiles would drastically reduce fare evasion, but no effort appears to have been made to do so.

Lisa Daglian, executive director of the MTA’s Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee, suggested that pressure from Republican senators may not be as necessary, given existing oversight reports from DiNapoli, the Legislature and the federal government.

“There are a lot of cooks in this kitchen,” she said.

But she added that more “oversight and transparency” is unlikely to hurt when it comes to restoring public confidence in the MTA.

GOP senators, though, say they are losing patience with the MTA, which has received billions of dollars in federal aid in recent years to counter the COVID-19 pandemic-related budget deficit.

“Year after year we hear that the MTA is facing a financial crisis and needs more money. Year after year, we see the Governor and some legislators trying to introduce new ways (taxes and fees) to get more money from taxpayers to keep the MTA solvent,” their letter says. “At this point, reaching out to taxpayers should be the last resort, not the first option.”