North Hempstead, Nassau keep sparring over park audit

Nassau County Comptroller George Maragos, in a news release Wednesday, expressed disappointment with the Town of North Hempstead’s appeal of a State Supreme Court Appellate Division decision confirming his right to audit a town park district.

“It is now apparent that the town ... intends to conceal its financial records from the public scrutiny,” the release said. “Instead of transparency, the town is continuing to waste money in litigation and preventing public records from being disclosed.”

Town spokesman Collin Nash said: “The town offered to make the park records available to the Comptroller’s office before we commenced litigation. That offer still stands. But the Comptroller’s office declined, opting for a full audit of the town instead. No town has ever been audited by the county comptroller’s office in Nassau’s history.”

Maragos said: “The Appellate court confirmed our power to audit towns, but that was not our intention. We’re ready to audit the park district as soon as the appeal is dropped.”

His news release followed the town’s appeal last week of a Feb. 13 ruling upholding a lower court’s decision that the county comptroller can audit the town’s Clinton G. Martin Park District.