NY comptroller, AG promise year of scrutiny

ALBANY - State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli said 2011 is a year to scrutinize special district finances, pressure the Long Island Power Authority to reduce consumer costs, and keep a close eye on Nassau County's imperiled finances.

Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman cited the need to monitor the banking and finance industries, as well as to ferret out state and municipal government corruption, as his goals for the new year.

Both men were sworn in to their elected offices Saturday during a ceremony at the state Capitol in Albany. Neither spoke during the brief ceremony.

DiNapoli, 56, a Democrat from Great Neck Plaza, defeated Republican challenger Harry Wilson in November by 3 percentage points. DiNapoli was appointed in February 2007 following the resignation of Alan Hevesi. The narrow victory gave him "a renewed sense of the importance of the job," he told Newsday after the ceremony.

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, who did not endorse DiNapoli during the campaign, said his "issues" with DiNapoli were "not personal" and that he looks forward to working with the comptroller.

DiNapoli said he wants a "productive" relationship with the governor but wants to remain "independent as well."

DiNapoli said Nassau's finances are a priority. A state oversight board, the Nassau Interim Finance Authority, has given Nassau County Executive Edward Mangano until Jan. 20 to explain changes he has made to balance this year's $2.6-billion budget.

NIFA member George Marlin said Saturday he believes DiNapoli's role is to be a "fiscal watchdog" and "make sure no one's stealing taxpayer dollars."

Schneiderman, 56, a Democrat from Manhattan, was elected to the State Senate in 1998 and re-elected every two years until defeating Republican Dan Donovan in November for the attorney general post vacated by Cuomo. Schneiderman said he plans to exercise "tremendous jurisdiction over financial services."

Presumptive Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos (R-Rockville Centre), a frequent sparring partner of Schneiderman on the Senate floor, said he hopes the attorney general "talks to me about legislation, and I intend to talk to him."