Elaine Phillips for Nassau Comptroller

The Island Now

Elaine Phillips: Village of Flower Hill resident, Age 61
Current Boards: Island Harvest, SCO Family of Services, The McCourtney Institute for Democracy
Public Offices: New York State Senator, Village of Flower Hill Mayor, Village of Flower Hill Trustee, Village of Munsey Park Trustee
Employment History: CAPTRUST, Goldman Sachs, J.P. Morgan, MetLife
Education: Pennsylvania State University – MBA (Finance), BA (Political Science)

I am running for Comptroller to give the people of Nassau County a watchdog with a proven track record of independence, fairness, responsiveness to constituents, and problem solving.

From the mishandled re-assessments to the deterioration of service at the Department of Consumer Affairs, there is a common thread of mismanagement.

As comptroller, I intend to be a force that helps to get county agencies back on track by diagnosing problems and advocating for solutions – whether they be the enhancement of existing processes or the addressing of antiquated technology.

The single most pressing issue identified by Nassau County taxpayers is the loss of confidence in our tax assessment system owing to the mishandled re-assessments. As Nassau County Comptroller, my first step toward regaining the confidence of taxpayers will be a comprehensive investigation of the re-assessment process.

The prevention of corruption, fraud, and waste will always be a critical priority, requiring aggressive audits of County agencies, authorities, departments and entities with which the County has financial obligations, such as NUMC, contract agencies and the LIRR/MTA. Aggressive auditing can lead to the recovery of county funds and the institution of best practices and safeguards to protect against future financial losses.

A particularly troublesome issue has been delays and mistakes in the payment of claims. A complete and exhaustive review of the Comptroller’s procedures with respect to the payment of claims, as well as the claims payment system, is sorely needed.

The Nassau County Comptroller was defrauded of over $700,000, and it is inexcusable that the Office charged with performing audits to protect against fraud was the victim of fraud.

I am the most qualified person because I have earned the trust of community-based organizations due to my extensive history of responding to their needs.

This trust is why I have been endorsed by every labor, environmental, and law enforcement organization that is endorsing this election, including CSEA, Laborers (LIUNA-NY), Building & Construction Trades of Nassau and Suffolk Counties (AFL-CIO), New York League of Conservation Voters, Nassau PBA, Nassau Detectives Association, Nassau Superior Officers, Nassau Correction Officers, and Nassau Fire Marshals.

I am the most qualified person because of the more than 10 years in the public sector as an elected official (New York State Senator, Village Mayor, and Village Trustee) serving constituents with understanding and responsiveness while being a careful steward of taxpayer funds and a problem solver.

I am the most qualified person because of the more than 25 years of financial experience in the private sector at Goldman Sachs, J.P. Morgan, and MetLife working in collaboration with sophisticated clients to solve complex financial challenges.

Elaine Phillips
Village of Flower Hill

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