ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE [AI] IS NOT USED, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, IN PREPARING NYPPL SUMMARIES OF JUDICIAL AND QUASI-JUDICIAL DECISIONS
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Aug 2, 2025

Local government and school audits recently posted on the Internet by the New York State Comptroller

Click on the text in color to access the full audit.


On July 24, 2025 New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli posted the following local government and school audits on the Internet:

Remsenburg-Speonk Union Free School District – Financial Management (Suffolk County)

The board and district officials did not properly manage the district’s fund balance. The board adopted budgets that annually overestimated appropriations by an average of $1.3 million (9%) per year, or a cumulative total of approximately $6.4 million. The majority of the overestimated appropriations ($5.6 million) were for special education instruction. From fiscal years 2019-20 through 2022-23, the district’s reported surplus fund balance ranged from 10 to 15% of the upcoming year’s budget, which was $962,000 to $1.8 million over the 4% statutory limit. While district officials appropriated a total of $5.5 million of surplus fund balance over the last five years, officials only used $350,000 of this amount after experiencing operating surpluses in four of the last five years. When the unused appropriated fund balance is added back to the district’s reported surplus fund balance, the recalculated amount ranged from approximately 12 to 23% of the upcoming year’s budget, which exceeds the statutory limit by 8 to 19 percentage points. At the end of the 2023-24 fiscal year, the recalculated surplus fund balance was $1.9 million, which exceeded the statutory limit by nearly $1.3 million. Despite having excess surplus fund balance available, the board increased taxes by an average of about $318,000 (2%) each year from 2019-20 to 2023-24.


Center Moriches Union Free School District – Payroll (Suffolk County)

Officials did not make accurate, approved and supported payroll payments to employees for tutoring, covering classes, chaperoning and sports scorekeeping. Time sheets for 13 employees were not adequately supported to ensure payments totaling $100,103 were accurately paid. Auditors questioned the reasonableness of $14,190 in payments for 258 chaperoning and sports scorekeeping events due to various discrepancies with game schedules. For example, time sheets were submitted with overlapping game times and for dates when there were no games scheduled. Officials did not develop and adopt a written payroll policy or procedures to convey expectations and processes to be followed for ensuring payroll payments to employees for miscellaneous activities were accurate, approved and supported.


Capital Region Board of Cooperative Services (BOCES) – State Aid

Although officials properly claimed state aid totaling $3.8 million for administrative expenditures, BOCES officials claimed excess state aid for facility rental costs. Because they improperly included this rental revenue received by BOCES without deducting portions that were not paid by component districts, all 23 districts collectively received almost $2 million more state aid than they were entitled to. In addition, officials properly claimed BOCES aid totaling $39.3 million for approved aidable services and reached out to State Education Department (SED) in November 2023 to correct an identified error. However, officials did not subsequently reconcile payments from SED to their financial application to verify corrections were made and that all state aid was claimed for the 2023-24 fiscal year. As a result, two component districts did not receive $29,918 of state aid owed to them.


Hyde Park Fire and Water District – Procurement (Dutchess County)

The board did not always procure capital assets, goods and services in a cost-effective and transparent manner. Specifically, the board did not seek competition when entering into a contract to purchase a ladder truck for $1.9 million or maintain written support to demonstrate that the district properly used an exception to the competitive bidding requirements. The board also did not obtain quotes when purchasing six goods and services totaling $41,316 and did not request proposals for one professional service contract totaling $19,043, as required by policy. Also, one trustee did not publicly disclose, in writing, his interest in a contract when the district purchased property from a separately incorporated fire department for $160,000.


Town of Spencer – Disbursements (Tioga County)

The board did not conduct a thorough audit of all claims paid during the audit period. As a result, auditors identified claims being paid without the board’s knowledge. Auditors reviewed all 647 non-payroll disbursements made during the audit period totaling approximately $2.1 million and identified 69 disbursements, totaling $248,900, that were not included on the board’s list of all claims that have been audited and approved for payment. Auditors also identified 16 disbursements totaling $32,100 that did not match the amount disbursed on the canceled check image. In addition, auditors reviewed 123 disbursements totaling $262,100 to determine whether they were properly supported and found 33, totaling $28,100, that lacked adequate detail for the board to complete a claims audit.


Roosevelt Fire District – Length of Service Awards Program (LOSAP) (Dutchess County)

The board did not effectively monitor all aspects of the district’s LOSAP. Specifically, the board did not ensure that the LOSAP was annually audited in accordance with state law. During the audit period, the value of the district’s LOSAP assets declined and so the district’s annual contributions had to steadily increase to ensure that there were enough assets to cover all benefits paid to the LOSAP participants and beneficiaries. The board also could not demonstrate that the procurement of LOSAP investment management services was made in accordance with the district’s procurement policy.


Pine Plains Central School District – Lead Testing and Reporting (Dutchess County/Columbia County)

District officials did not properly identify, report or implement needed remediation to reduce lead exposure in all potable water outlets as required by state law and Department of Health (DOH) regulations. Auditors determined 12 of the 333 water outlets identified at select areas were not sampled or properly exempted by district officials. This occurred because district officials did not have a sampling plan to identify all water outlets for sampling or exemption. Of the 259 water outlets sampled for testing, 50 water outlets exceeded the lead action level. Auditors reviewed 15 of the water outlets with actionable lead levels and determined that all were remediated. Although the director of facilities remediated the water outlets that exceeded the lead action level, he did not have a remedial action plan that documented which water outlets exceeded the lead action level and the remedial actions taken, or which water outlets were exempted from sampling and how they would be secured against use. Because there is no information on the lead levels of the 12 water outlets not sampled for testing, auditors were unable to determine whether officials identified and remediated all water outlets that would have required it.


York Central School District – Lead Testing and Reporting (Livingston County/Wyoming County)

District officials did not properly identify, report or implement needed remediation to reduce lead exposure in all potable water outlets as required by state law and DOH regulations. Auditors determined 130 of the 223 water outlets identified at select areas were not sampled or properly exempted by district officials. This occurred because district officials did not have a sampling plan or a remedial action plan. Because there is no information on the lead levels of the 130 water outlets not sampled for testing, auditors were unable to determine whether officials identified and remediated all water outlets that would have required it. Of the 74 water outlets the district sampled for testing, three water outlets exceeded the lead action level. Auditors determined district officials took appropriate remedial actions on the three outlets. District officials did not report any laboratory test results for the testing cycle to their local health department, to staff, parents and/or guardians, or through DOH’s Health Electronic Response Data System.


Greenwood Lake Union Free School District – Audit Follow-Up (Orange County)

The review assessed the Greenwood Lake Union Free School District’s progress, as of February 2025, in implementing recommendations from a prior audit, Greenwood Lake Union Free School District – Procurement and Claims Processing (2021M-147), released in December 2021. The audit found district officials did not always procure goods and services in a cost-effective manner or ensure claims were audited for accuracy and completeness. The audit included nine recommendations to help officials monitor and improve the district’s procurement and claims processing procedures. Of the nine recommendations, all were implemented.


Port Jervis City School District – Audit Follow Up (Orange County/Sullivan County)

The review assessed the Port Jervis City School District’s progress, as of February/March 2025, in implementing recommendations from a prior audit, Port Jervis City School District – Financial Condition (2022M-152), released in December 2021. The audit determined the board and district officials did not effectively manage the district’s financial condition and so it levied more taxes than needed to fund operations. The audit included six recommendations to help officials monitor and improve the district’s financial condition. The district has made some progress implementing corrective action. Of the six audit recommendations, one recommendation was fully implemented, two recommendations were partially implemented and three recommendations were not implemented.


On July 31, 2025, New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli posted the following audits on the Internet: 

Village of Addison (Steuben County)

DiNapoli’s office began a comprehensive review, comprised of three audits, of the village in 2022 and found the clerk-treasurer had been running the financial operations of the village with no oversight. 

As a result of the Comptroller’s audit and subsequent investigation, the former clerk-treasurer, who resigned in March 2023, was arrested in November of that year and charged with misappropriating funds and making unauthorized payments totaling more than $1.1 million over a 19-year period. In May 2024, she pleaded guilty to one count of first degree corrupting the government (B felony) and was sentenced to three to nine years in state prison in August 2024. 

N.B. As part of her sentence, the former clerk-treasurer was required to forfeit her monthly public pension. This sentence represents the first time a public official in New York surrendered her pension as a penalty for corruption while in office.

Summaries of the three Village of Addison audits released:

1. Former Clerk-Treasurer’s Misappropriation of Funds

The former clerk-treasurer did not properly deposit, record, report or disburse village funds and misappropriated more than $1.1 million for personal gain. The former clerk-treasurer was able to perform these acts without detection because the board failed to fulfill its fiscal responsibilities, provide oversight and segregate the duties of the former clerk-treasurer. She misappropriated revenue collections totaling $925,757 and made questionable or inappropriate expenditures totaling $94,562 and inappropriate and unauthorized payroll payments totaling $341,992. She also did not maintain complete and accurate accounting records, provide financial reports to the board, file payroll reports or remit biweekly withholdings in a timely manner, resulting in approximately $5,000 in penalties and interest.

2. Board Oversight

The board did not provide adequate financial oversight, obtain periodic financial reports, monitor the budget, investigate budget and revenue anomalies reported by the outside accountant, perform an effective claims audit or annually audit the former clerk-treasurer’s records. The board’s failure to fulfill its fiscal responsibilities created a negative “tone at the top” and a weak control environment that enabled the former clerk-treasurer to abuse her position for personal gain.

3. Payroll

The board did not ensure the former clerk-treasurer accurately paid wages and leave benefits for the nine full-time individuals employed as of March 2023, and two that left employment during the audit period. The former clerk-treasurer overpaid employees and made inappropriate and unauthorized payments to herself and other employees totaling $341,992 and tried to pay herself an additional $26,613. She failed to adhere to the established policy and collective bargaining agreement regarding employees’ leave benefits.


Town of Lodi – Town Hall Capital Project (Seneca County)

The board did not adequately manage the Town Hall capital project, which included the renovation of a church into the new town hall and food pantry. The board did not develop or formally establish a total estimated project cost or provide an itemized project budget or detailed timeline. The board also did not oversee the competitive bidding process for the pantry portion of the project. The board and its contractors did not ensure that required permits were obtained and required inspections were performed throughout the project. Work associated with six change orders totaling $65,537 was completed without the board’s approval. The board further approved 17 payments totaling approximately $930,000 to construction contractors without adequate supporting documentation, such as a certification that the work was performed and completed according to contract terms.


Village of Herkimer – Payroll (Herkimer County)

Village officials paid salaries and wages as authorized but did not maintain adequate employee time records or ensure separation payments were accurate or adequately supported. Auditors found employees were paid for overtime that was not always adequately documented or consistent with their collective bargaining agreement (CBA). Direct supervisors also did not review or certify payroll registers, including employee names, hours worked, gross pay, deductions, and net pay, before officials and employees were paid, as required by law. Auditors reviewed pay and time records for 15 employees that were paid a total of $260,030. In general, salaries and wages were paid as authorized and employees’ hours were correctly entered into the payroll system. However, time records were not always prepared by the employees, signed by the employees, included the employees’ beginning and ending times, or reviewed by a supervisor. Auditors also identified three employees who retired from the village and received benefit payments totaling $128,254. While calculations were available for these employees to substantiate the cash payments and benefits each received, these calculations were not always consistent with the language in the applicable CBA or there was no individual employment agreement or local enactment to support the amounts paid. As a result, these employees received either questionable or unsupported separation payments and benefits totaling $73,877.


Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk Central School District – Lead Testing and Reporting (Albany County)

District officials did not properly identify, report or implement needed remediation to reduce lead exposure in all potable water outlets as required by state law and Department of Health (DOH) regulations. Auditors determined 61 of the 322 (19%) water outlets identified at select areas were not sampled or properly exempted by district officials. This occurred because district officials did not have a sampling plan to identify all water outlets for sampling or exemption. District officials also did not have a remedial action plan that detailed which water outlets they exempted from sampling, how they would be secured against use, and what remedial actions were planned or occurred. Because there is no information on the lead levels of the 61 water outlets not sampled for testing, auditors were unable to determine whether officials identified and remediated all water outlets that would have required it.


Chazy Union Free School District – Lead Testing and Reporting (Clinton County)

District officials did not properly identify, report or implement needed remediation to reduce lead exposure in all potable water outlets as required by state law and DOH regulations. Auditors determined 115 of the 178 (65%) water outlets identified at select areas were not sampled or properly exempted. This occurred because district officials did not have a sampling plan or a remedial action plan. Because there is no information on the lead levels of the 115 water outlets not sampled for testing, auditors were unable to determine whether officials identified and remediated all water outlets that would have required it. Of the 46 water outlets that the district sampled and tested, 15 water outlets (33%) exceeded the lead action level. Although district officials took appropriate remedial actions by removing or replacing these 15 water outlets, these actions were not documented in a remedial action plan to show when these water outlets were taken out of service, how they were remediated if not replaced or removed, and when they were returned to service. District officials did not always report testing results properly or in the required time periods to all required parties.


Commack Union Free School District – Lead Testing and Reporting (Suffolk County)

District officials did not properly identify, report or implement needed remediation to reduce lead exposure in all potable water outlets as required by state law and DOH regulations. Auditors determined 20 water outlets (16 shower outlets and four bathroom outlets located in elementary school classrooms) of the 521 water outlets identified at select areas were not sampled or properly exempted. Auditors determined district officials did not review or update the sampling plan to identify all water outlets. Auditors also reviewed the test results for 40 of the 135 water outlets that exceeded the lead action level and determined the district did not effectively remediate 24 of the 40 water outlets. District officials did not properly report laboratory test results for testing conducted, including the results showing 135 of 765 (18%) water outlets were above the lead action level, within the required time periods or to all required parties. Test results identifying sampled water outlets with actionable lead levels were reported to the local health department an average of 18 days late, instead of one business day as required; and staff, parents and guardians were not notified of these results in writing, as required.


East Bloomfield Central School District – Lead Testing and Reporting (Ontario County)

District officials did not properly identify, report or implement needed remediation to reduce lead exposure in all potable water outlets as required by state law and DOH regulations. Auditors determined 95 of the 246 (39%) water outlets identified at select areas were not sampled or properly exempted. Because there is no information on the lead levels of the 95 water outlets not sampled for testing or properly exempted by the district, auditors were unable to determine whether officials identified and remediated all water outlets that would have required it. District officials did not include all water outlets in their sampling plan. Although the district’s remedial action plan specified the controls implemented for water outlets the district exempted, how they were secured against use and listed all water outlets that exceeded the lead action level, it did not contain enough detail to identify individual exempt outlets and not all implemented controls were considered effective by DOH guidance. Auditors found remediation efforts were not adequate for eight of the 31 water outlets (26%) that exceeded the lead action level. While district officials notified the local health department and staff, parents and guardians of the 31 water outlets exceeding the lead action level from the initial test results, they did not follow all of the requirements, among other issues.


Evergreen Charter School – Credit Card Purchases (Nassau County)

Credit card purchases were not always properly approved or adequately supported to show they were for a proper school purpose. The board of trustees and school officials did not develop and adopt a credit card policy or procedures for monitoring and using the school’s 13 credit cards that were assigned to 13 school officials. Auditors found 255 credit card charges totaling $113,589 were not properly approved or adequately supported. Twelve of the 18 general purpose credit card payments, totaling $134,982, did not have the required signatures for payment. Reward points were accumulated and used during the audit period but officials could not explain who used the points and for what purpose.


On August 1, 2025 New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli posted the following local government and school audits on the Internet:

Town of Oxford – Financial Condition (Chenango County) 

The board did not receive complete and accurate financial records and reports from the current and former supervisors, or request additional financial information, which hindered its ability to monitor the town’s financial condition, including fund balance and balance sheet details. As a result, the general, town-wide and highway funds began the 2024 fiscal year with a combined $206,637 fund balance deficit. Also, the board appropriated $315,279 of nonexistent town-wide fund balance in the 2019 through 2023 fiscal years and used $350,000 in revenue anticipation notes to address cash flow issues, which caused the town to incur $11,430 in borrowing costs.


Village of Penn Yan – Water Treatment Plant (WTP) Overtime (Yates County) 

Because village officials did not properly approve, monitor or control overtime costs of WTP employees, water customers may have been unnecessarily burdened with unneeded overtime and other costs. From June 1, 2021 through Nov. 22, 2024, WTP operators worked three different schedules that incurred significant overtime costs totaling $338,108, which annually ranged between 28-32% of the total wages paid of approximately $1.1 million. The current chief water operator accounted for the majority of the non-weekend overtime hours and 63% of these costs totaling $89,667. Additionally, the department of public works director and deputy director did not approve overtime hours prior to the WTP operators working overtime as required by the village’s employee handbook.


Cuba-Rushford Central School District – Cafeteria Purchases (Allegany County) 

Although the superintendent knew that district policy prohibited district employees from using district-purchased assets for personal use, he directed the manager to purchase food totaling approximately $1,300 for a private, personal event. Without the superintendent’s involvement, the manager also purchased food totaling $100 for a district teacher to serve at a different private non-district event. Both purchases were inappropriate and not for proper district purposes. The superintendent and other employee reimbursed the district for the purchases made. The remaining 267 purchases reviewed by auditors totaling approximately $541,000 were for proper district purposes.


Southwestern Central School District – Claims Audit (Chautauqua County)

The claims auditors did not properly audit all claims prior to payment. Of the 1,467 claims totaling $24.2 million, auditors reviewed 266 claims totaling $7.7 million and determined that 230 claims (86%) totaling $6.5 million should not have been approved by the claims auditors for payment because the claim packets did not contain sufficient supporting documentation to allow the claims auditor to determine whether the claim was a valid legal obligation, a proper charge against the district, correct or in compliance with the district’s purchasing policies. Auditors also determined that 14 Erie-2-Chautauqua-Cattaraugus Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) claims (5%) totaling $5.2 million were not properly audited as it was the board’s responsibility to do so because the claims auditors were employees of BOCES.


Cheektowaga-Maryvale Union Free School District – Lead Testing and Reporting (Erie County)

District officials did not properly identify, report or implement needed remediation to reduce lead exposure in all potable water outlets as required by state law and Department of Health (DOH) regulations. Auditors determined 207 of the 567 (37%) water outlets identified at select areas were not sampled or properly exempted by district officials. Additionally, district officials did not take appropriate remedial action for 22 of 39 water outlets reviewed that exceeded the lead action level to prevent students or staff from drinking from these outlets.


Indian Lake Central School District – Lead Testing and Reporting (Hamilton County)

District officials did not properly identify, report or implement needed remediation to reduce lead exposure in all potable water outlets as required by state law and DOH regulations. Auditors determined 36 of the 76 (47%) water outlets identified at select areas were not sampled or properly exempted by district officials. Of the 12 water outlets the district sampled for testing, four water outlets exceeded the lead action level. Auditors determined that three of the four outlets with actionable lead levels had effective controls to prevent them from being used for drinking or cooking, but the district did not have a remedial action plan with the details and dates of action taken evidencing that the water outlet was disabled before the lead level was reduced. District officials did not always properly report testing results to all required parties or within the required time periods.


Glen Cove City School District – Lead Testing and Reporting (Nassau County)

District officials did not properly identify, report or implement needed remediation to reduce lead exposure in all potable water outlets as required by state law and DOH regulations. Auditors determined 149 of the 313 (48%) water outlets identified were not sampled or properly exempted by district officials. District officials did not properly secure any of the water outlets they exempted against use. Of the 82 water outlets the district sampled for testing, 19 water outlets (23%) exceeded the lead action level. Auditors determined that 10 of these 19 outlets (53%) with actionable lead levels were still in service without a follow-up test showing they were now below the lead action level or that controls were in place to secure these water outlets against use. District officials did not notify their local health department directly, within one business day of receiving testing results showing the 19 water outlets were above lead action levels, and never notified staff, parents and/or guardians of the test results exceeding the lead action level in writing within 10 business days, as required.


Poughkeepsie Industrial Development Agency – Audit Follow-Up (Dutchess County)

The purpose of our review was to assess the City of Poughkeepsie Industrial Development Agency’s (IDA’s) progress, as of September 2024, in implementing our recommendations in the audit, City of Poughkeepsie Industrial Development Agency – Project Approval and Monitoring (2021M-168), released in July 2022. The audit determined that the IDA’s board did not properly evaluate and approve IDA projects and monitor the performance of businesses that received financial benefits. The audit included eight recommendations to help officials. The review found IDA officials implemented five recommendations, partially implemented one recommendation, and did not implement one recommendation. Auditors could not determine the implementation status for one recommendation because IDA officials have not entered into any new agreements since the initial audit was completed.



Jan 11, 2025

Links to selected items focusing on govenmental operations posted on the Internet during the week ending January 10, 2025

A Comprehensive Approach to Election Cybersecurity As voters cast their ballots, cybersecurity teams need to detect any cyber intrusions, respond to them without delay and recover quickly, a daunting challenge for government officials working with limited funds and time. Download the full paper for more information about enhancing cybersecurity throughout the entire election process. DOWNLOAD

A Suspenseful New Year in Public Finance Governors, mayors and finance officers are treading water, awaiting the outcome and impact of a new Washington regime’s vows to slash federal spending and taxes.  READ MORE

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AI Innovation Lab Will Enable ‘Quick Wins,’ Georgia CIO Says State CIO Shawnzia Thomas discussed the state’s achievements in AI and modernization during 2024, and developing initiatives like its upcoming AI Innovation Lab and ethical AI standards playbook. READ MORE

AI Will Help Georgia County Officials Prioritize Roadwork Leaders in Macon-Bibb County are working with a data-based assessment company to determine which of their roughly 1,200 miles of county-owned roads are in the worst shape and should be fixed first. READ MORE

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AI, Innovation, and Opportunity, The Year Ahead in Legal Tech: Nicole Black, a Rochester, New York attorney urges readers to "Dive in and ensure you’re maintaining technology competence by learning as much as you can about emerging and innovative technologies as "2025 is sure to be a year for the record books, and now is the time to prepare yourselves for what will come".  Read the whole entry.

Alaska Retirement Division Hack Impacts Contributions State residents who work in the public sector, including in local government and education, have had employer contributions to their retirement accounts impacted by suspicious activity on servers. READ MORE

Appeals Court Strikes Down Net Neutrality Regulations A federal appeals court on Thursday dealt a blow to President Biden's Federal Communications Commission, striking down the agency's hard-fought and long-debated open Internet rules. READ MORE

Biden Cybersecurity Executive Order Nears Publication During its final days in office, the outgoing administration is hurrying to complete an executive order by President Joe Biden intended to bolster U.S. cybersecurity. The order incorporates takeaways from recent hacks. READ MORE

California Cops Continue to Stop Black and Hispanic Drivers More Often Black drivers, in particular, are stopped at disproportionate rates, a study of 5 million traffic stops found. Police officers say the analysis was flawed. READ MORE

California Law Blocks Health Insurers From Denying Claims Through AI Last year, about a quarter of all health insurance claims were denied in California. A new law blocks coverage denials made solely through artificial intelligence. READ MORE

CentralSquare Buys Startup AI Firm to Beef Up Public Safety Blueline AI, based in Texas, uses AI for tasks involving body cameras, police reports and search warrants. The coming year promises to be a big one for AI in policing — even as backlash against some of its uses builds. READ MORE

Cities Using AI for Transparency, Resident Engagement Municipalities around the nation are carefully using artificial intelligence to improve access to documents and public meeting materials, leaders said during the GovAI Coalition Summit in December. READ MORE

Connecticut Legislature Likely to Weigh AI Regulation Soon A lawmaker who is among the nation's biggest legislative proponents of regulating AI is hopeful to see legislation this year to protect residents from potentially discriminatory and harmful uses of algorithms. READ MORE

Cost of Sick Leave Used by State Employees Doubles in New Mexico  The personnel cost has doubled over the last three years. Employees have been granted more sick leave but they seem to be using more due to in-person work requirements. READ MORE

Despite Housing Shortage, Denver Puts Brakes on Dense Development The city’s planning office won’t approve conversion of single-family properties into multiple units in six neighborhoods. The desire to protect Latino neighborhoods from gentrification runs counter to the city’s housing goals. READ MORE

Digital Done Right: A Real-World Modernization Success Story Discover how one state agency tackled record backlogs, streamlined access to documents, and fortified security by digitizing decades of data.
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Drones in 2025: What State and Local Governments Should Know Drone technology is rapidly transforming government operations, but agencies face a complex web of challenges from navigating new regulations and security threats to harnessing AI and counter-drone technology. READ MORE

Efficiency Takes a Bow in Preview of Balanced Calif. Budget In a high-level view of the 2025-2026 fiscal year state budget, Gov. Gavin Newsom highlighted technology work and reforms by the Office of Data and Innovation, which is helping lead California’s tech evolution. READ MORE

Fairfax County, Va., CTO to Retire After Successor Is Named Chief Technical Officer Gregory Scott, who heads the county’s Department of Information Technology, is preparing to retire after nearly six years in the role. He has helped the local government refine its resident experience. READ MORE

Fourth Wave of Opioid Deaths Driven by Mixes of Drugs Stimulants such as cocaine and methamphetamine now often come laced with deadly amounts of fentanyl. The current wave is driving up mortality among Black and Hispanic Americans particularly. READ MORE

GenAI in Courts: How Artificial Intelligence Improves Efficiency and Accuracy in Court Systems State and local court systems are strained. Even routine legal processes can overburden staff and delay crucial judicial processes. The right AI assistant can transform the way courts are run, letting legal staff focus on helping more people get justice quickly and reliably. DOWNLOAD

GenAI Transforms How Agencies Use Data Generative AI enables users to find, summarize and visualize information without requiring specialized data skills. But agencies need an enterprise strategy to realize GenAI's full potential. This paper offers advice on building an effective strategy and using GenAI to address business, operational and IT needs. DOWNLOAD

House AI Report Offers Lawmakers a Policy Tool The bipartisan House Task Force on Artificial Intelligence has issued findings and recommendations in 15 areas including data privacy and national security. Humans, it said, should be at the center of AI policy. READ MORE

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How Alabama Made Tax Services More Accessible The Alabama Department of Revenue faced significant operational challenges with its legacy systems, which were not meeting evolving needs for scalability, security and efficiency. Learn how the agency decided to move to the cloud to address these challenges, and more. DOWNLOAD

How Alabama Made Tax Services More Accessible The Alabama Department of Revenue faced significant operational challenges with its legacy systems, which were not meeting evolving needs for scalability, security and efficiency. Learn how the agency decided to move to the cloud to address these challenges, and more. DOWNLOAD

How Five Cities Have Changed Policing Under Federal Consent Decrees  Just ahead of the Trump administration, Minneapolis agrees to be the 16th city to enter into a consent decree with the Justice Department. DOJ cites five others as models for success. READ MORE

How Government May Use Generative AI in 2025 and Beyond As generative AI continues to develop, one expert predicts that state and local government officials will use it as a virtual sandbox for test driving infrastructure changes, among other applications. READ MORE

How Jacksonville is Preserving Family Wealth in Majority-Black Neighborhoods A new program preserves home ownership for vulnerable residents who are at risk of property displacement through heirs’ properties. LEARN MORE

How Minnesota Created a Text Message System for Family Benefits The Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) revolutionized its outreach efforts by launching an innovative SMS text messaging system to connect with constituents during the COVID-19 pandemic. Download this paper to explore how Minnesota DHS overcame challenges, achieved measurable success, and laid the groundwork for scalable innovation.  DOWNLOAD

How Tacoma Boosted Loans to Black-owned Businesses by 333% Using the Equity Index, the City of Tacoma leverages data to identify and invest in underserved neighborhoods. LEARN MORE

How the U.S. Military Approaches Natural Disaster Preparedness In the face of natural disasters, preparation is key. This white paper explores how the U.S. military utilizes technology solutions such as drones, portable cell sites, and satellite connectivity to enhance disaster preparedness. DOWNLOAD

Illinois Human Services Breach Compromises Data of 1M The data breach last year by an outside entity resulted in the accessing of files that included Social Security numbers. Separately, hackers obtained the public assistance account information of more than 1 million people. READ MORE

Illinois Seeks to Rebuild Its EPA After Years of Neglect After years of cuts, the agency’s budget has doubled since 2020. But its new director will face challenges due to policy differences with the incoming Trump administration. READ MORE

In L.A., ‘Chaotic’ Winds Spread Fire Over Miles Hot, strong desert air is contributing to the devastating fires in the Los Angeles area. The current winds are much less predictable than previous patterns. READ MORE

Jimmy Carter's Neglected Legacy for American Governors As Georgia governor, he was a pioneer in efforts to attract foreign investment and promote exports, setting the stage for how U.S. states would help shape the global economy. READ MORE

Maryland’s Legislative Session Will Be Dominated by $3 Billion Shortfall With the state facing its worst budget gap in two decades, everything from education and juvenile justice to transportation spending is on the line. READ MORE

Minneapolis, Seattle Partner on Digital Curb Management The City of Lakes was recently jointly awarded a U.S. Department of Transportation grant. Officials there will work with their counterparts in Seattle to develop a program assisting package delivery services. READ MORE

New Tool Helps Local Governments Hire Displaced Federal Workers There's turnover in Washington with each new administration. Departing federal workers can bring valuable skills and experience to state and local governments. READ MORE

North Carolina Supreme Court Threatens to Steal an Election  A state supreme court justice won a narrow victory in November. Her challenger argues tens of thousands of votes should be thrown out. READ MORE

Ohio’s New UI System Will Come With a $83M Price Tag Ohio is investing $83 million on a project to modernize its 20-year-old unemployment system. The new solution promises to provide improved user and employee experiences as well as better fraud prevention. READ MORE

Oklahoma Names Dan Cronin as the State’s Newest CIO The state’s previous CIO resigned late last year after an "ethics violation." Cronin’s tech experience stretches back to 1998 with Microsoft, and he most recently worked for hotel operator Marriott International. READ MORE

Oregon Plan to Ease Rules for Foster Kids Draws Pushback Human services officials say more treatment options are needed to place children, but lawmakers are concerned lighter regulations will create more problems. READ MORE

Should Cities Open Their Own Grocery Stores?  Forty million Americans live in food deserts. Can government-owned grocery stores fix this? READ MORE

Should Medicaid Pay for Ozempic and Other Weight-Loss Drugs? With a dozen states offering coverage, it's already a $4 billion cost. Some state officials say reducing obesity will save programs money in the long run. READ MORE

Should States Ban Mandatory Human Microchip Implants? A new report examines the rise of pre-emptive bans on mandated human microchip implants, noting that 13 states have recently enacted such a ban, despite no companies currently requiring the technology. READ MORE 

Skills Training: How Governments Can Build an AI-Ready Workforce Download this paper for exclusive survey research in AI skills development, as well as strategies and best practices for upskilling employees in your organization to unlock the full potential of AI. DOWNLOAD

Smart Device Strategies for Seamless IT Discover a new approach to device management that streamlines IT costs and maximizes productivity. This guide explores how device subscription services (DSS) offer predictable costs, seamless lifecycle management, and improved employee satisfaction. Learn how to align your device strategy with sustainability goals and take advantage of flexible options designed to adapt as your needs evolve. DOWNLOAD

South Carolina Prepares to Launch AI Center of Excellence Rich Heimann, the state’s first-ever director of artificial intelligence, lauds its pragmatic approach to AI strategy and adoption. South Carolina’s chief information security officer will be part of the center's team, too. READ MORE

States Take Steps to Shore Up Pension Funding Recent laws to improve pension financing should save states tens of billions of dollars over the long term. READ MORE

States, Locals Fail to Meet Recommended Cybersecurity Goals Forty-eight states took part in a review, but only 22 reached or surpassed recommended minimum system security levels. Results for local governments showed they, too, have room for improvement. READ MORE

Ten of the Biggest Issues to Watch in 2025 State officials face challenges from shrinking revenue and major changes from Washington in shared programs such as education and Medicaid.  READ MORE

The Escalating Threat of 3D-Printed ‘Ghost Guns’  Arrests connected to the home-built weapons are growing rapidly in the U.S. and around the world. It’s likely to prove harder for governments and police to keep them out of the hands of criminals and extremists. READ MORE

The Four Key Components of Successful Digital Transformation This guide details four essential components for achieving successful digital transformation in Government: harnessing the power of SaaS and PaaS platforms, enabling data-driven decisions, improving access to comprehensive data, and fostering secure collaboration. DOWNLOAD

The Top 25 Security Predictions for 2025 (Part 1) As we end the first quarter of the 21st century, cybersecurity threats seem more daunting than ever. So what cyber trends, forecasts, themes, insights and predictions are on offer for the new year? Here’s your annual security industry prediction roundup for 2025. READ MORE

This Red Midwestern State Is a Global Paragon of Clean Power Iowa leads the nation in the percentage of its electricity it generates from wind and solar, showing that the transition doesn’t have to be expensive or scary or even constrained by politics. READ MORE

Thousands of Texans Give Up Calling Understaffed Suicide Hotline The state’s 988 service has a $7 million shortfall and the nation’s fifth highest rate of abandoned calls. The suicide rate in Texas has risen dramatically during this century. READ MORE

 Tyler Technologies Names New CMO, Other C-Suite Appointments The Texas-based government technology behemoth has appointed and promoted several new executives in recent days. The moves reflect how the company is growing and larger trends in the industry. READ MORE

U.S. Treasury Department Falls Victim to Foreign Hackers The federal agency disclosed Chinese state-sponsored bad actors had breached its network and gained access to unclassified documents. A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson called the allegation “unwarranted and groundless.” READ MORE

Wash. Makes Tech Service Catalog Easier to Use, Access Collaboration and partnership with other agencies was central to the redesign of the WaTech Service Catalog, to better understand the needs of state departments and deliver a more obtainable product. READ MORE

What Will AI Policy Look Like Under the Trump Administration? The 2024 Republican platform declares the intent to repeal the AI Executive Order President Joe Biden enacted in October 2023. The technology sector foresees increased opportunities for innovation, but risks remain. READ MORE

What’s New in Digital Equity: Feds Fund Digital Upskilling Plus, the BEAD Progress Dashboard gets updated this week, a comprehensive report examines website accessibility across government, and one Georgia county gets to work on digital inclusion. READ MORE

Where States Place Their Capitals Changes How They're Governed  There's a reason states with big-city capitals produce different policies than those headquartered in out-of-the-way places.  READ MORE

With Executive Order, Mississippi Sets Path to AI Innovation Gov. Tate Reeves’ executive order mandates a statewide inventory of AI technologies, guidelines to responsibly integrate AI into public services and bridging communication across state agencies. READ MORE

Your Comparative Guide to Advanced Cloud Firewalls Discover which advanced cloud firewalls lead the pack in security efficacy, operational efficiency, and resilience. This in-depth report, backed by real-world testing across 12 solutions, offers a detailed comparison of how top firewalls perform against today’s evolving threats. DOWNLOAD 


NYPPL Publisher Harvey Randall served as Principal Attorney, New York State Department of Civil Service; Director of Personnel, SUNY Central Administration; Director of Research, Governor’s Office of Employee Relations; and Staff Judge Advocate General, New York Guard. Consistent with the Declaration of Principles jointly adopted by a Committee of the American Bar Association and a Committee of Publishers and Associations, the material posted to this blog is presented with the understanding that neither the publisher nor NYPPL and, or, its staff and contributors are providing legal advice to the reader and in the event legal or other expert assistance is needed, the reader is urged to seek such advice from a knowledgeable professional.

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