NY comptroller DiNapoli says state official on payroll twice January 26, 2009 - 12:04 PM Associated Press ALBANY, N.Y.
Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli says a high-ranking state official who was listed as an employee of two New York agencies at once failed to take time off from one position while doing work for the other.
DiNapoli says John Cansdale was paid $24,000 a year as general counsel for the Olympic Regional Development Authority while also getting $146,699 as executive director of the state Racing and Wagering Board.
Auditors reviewed his time records and found Cansdale didn't take leave for five days that ORDA records showed he attended meetings two to three hours away from his racing board office in Schenectady.
Small potatoes-Did BS-6 also update the Big Hose {$3 MILLION in County Taxpayer funds down the toilet} opening date? How about the status of the Metrograft audit that was completed in August? What's the delay? Inquiring County taxpayers demand to know.
CAPITOL Comptroller’s audit cites official working for two state agencies BY VALERIE BAUMAN The Associated Press
A high-ranking state official who was listed as an employee of two New York agencies at once failed to take time off from one position while doing work for the other, according to an audit issued Monday by Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli. DiNapoli says John Cansdale was paid $24,000 a year as general counsel for the Olympic Regional Development Authority while also getting $146,699 as executive director of the state Racing and Wagering Board. “Prior to accepting additional responsibilities as counsel to ORDA, I sought and received guidance from the NYS Ethics Commission and have been working consistent with that guidance,” Cansdale said in a written statement. “My purpose was simply to provide ORDA with professional legal counsel at a cost that meant a real savings to taxpayers. Any other characterization is simply inaccurate.” Letters and e-mails from the state Ethics Commission said it was fi ne for Cansdale to work for two agencies as long as he was an employee and not a contractor, and as long as his primary employer approved. “We advised ORDA that they could hire Mr. Cansdale in order to avoid violating the public officers law,” said Walter Ayres, a spokesman for the state Commission on Public Integrity. “Again, this did not address the issue of his retirement eligibility which is not our jurisdiction.” In December the comptroller’s office issued a separate audit indicating Cansdale was inappropriately getting about $4,000 a year in retirement, Social Security and Medicare payments. The comptroller’s latest audit reviewed Cansdale’s time records and found he didn’t take leave for five days that ORDA records showed he attended meetings two to three hours away from his racing board office in Schenectady. Auditors identified an additional 205 days when Cansdale provided services to both the board and ORDA. Cansdale resigned last week from the racing board. Former Gov. George Pataki appointed Cansdale to........................http://www.dailygazette.net/De.....amp;EntityId=Ar01402
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Small potatoes-Did BS-6 also update the Big Hose {$3 MILLION in County Taxpayer funds down the toilet} opening date? How about the status of the Metrograft audit that was completed in August? What's the delay? Inquiring County taxpayers demand to know.
