A recent audit has revealed that Greenburgh, a suburb in New York led by Democratic politician Paul Feiner for 35 years, has left millions in uncollected taxes, including property taxes dating back to 1967. The findings, reported by EFPR Group, indicate that the town is grappling with $2.6 million in unpaid parking tickets from the past three years, along with persistent payroll for former employees. Additionally, only a small portion of funds allocated for a new courthouse has been utilized.
“It seems unreasonable that taxpayers are being asked to cover court costs they’ve already paid,” remarked Frances Sheehan, a member of the town’s all-Democratic City Council, in response to the audit’s findings. She also pointed out the courts are lacking necessary funding, attributing this mismanagement of town finances directly to Feiner’s office.
Feiner, who has been in office since 1991, oversees one of New York’s largest towns, which includes some of Westchester County’s most affluent areas. Known for his quirky personality, he sometimes makes his way to work on a bicycle and manages town business from his home where he cares for his sick mother.
The audit, which covered the town’s finances from 2020 to 2023, found that by 2024, there was $29.4 million in property taxes that hadn’t been collected. These included tax bills that had been overdue for nearly 60 years. It also identified poor management of funds intended for a new courthouse and police station. While $39.5 million was earmarked for the new criminal justice complex, only $7.4 million had been spent because those funds were diverted to the general budget instead of being kept separate.
Water bills were another area of concern; $3.1 million was found to be overdue, with additional fines suspended since the pandemic remaining unpaid due to the town’s failure to reinstate penalties.
The audit highlighted several issues, including inadequate record-keeping of emergency funds, persistence of former employees in payroll systems, and access to sensitive programs by individuals no longer affiliated with the town. While it did not imply financial compensation for these former employees, it illustrated a lack of organizational oversight.
Feiner defended himself against the audit’s implications, suggesting that the findings weren’t surprising and asserting that measures were already being implemented to rectify the issues, such as hiring a firm to recover outstanding taxes and planning auctions for foreclosed properties. He expressed skepticism regarding the audit focusing solely on records from 2023.
Accusing the Town Council of pursuing a politically motivated agenda, Feiner claimed this review was an attempt to undermine his re-election campaign. He is facing criticism, particularly after the local Democratic Party endorsed another candidate, Barry McGaughey.
Feiner concluded by noting that an external auditor had recently reviewed the town’s finances and deemed them sound, while emphasizing Greenburgh’s impressive AAA bond rating, a rarity among municipalities in the area.
