A bipartisan duo in the City Council is calling for more transparency when it comes to the Big Apple’s migrant spending — and wants to mandate a public database so the public can easily track where their tax dollars are going.
Councilmembers Inna Vernikov (R-Brooklyn) and Bob Holden (D-Queens), who are both members of the Common Sense Caucus, are expected to introduce a bill Wednesday that would legally require the City Comptroller to collect and publish the asylum seeker spending.
“In the past in times of crisis and emergency, the city tracked all government spending whether it came from us or the federal government,” said Vernikov, the bill’s lead sponsor, calling for “greater transparency.”
“The government must step up its game in transparency regarding spending taxpayer dollars, particularly concerning emergency contracts,” said Holden, the bill’s second sponsor.
“The public has a right to access a clear database showing this information, and this bill will create transparency and accountability New Yorkers deserve.”
The lawmakers are proposing taking Comptroller Brad Lander’s current tracker a step further by providing the public with a more in-depth quarterly of contracts, including how many jobs each deal created and a breakdown of how much local, state or federal funding whether through grants or loans were allocated to each contract.
The bill comes as migrant arrivals continue to tally thousands each week, with the city currently caring for more than 67,200 asylum seekers.
The lawmakers hope the legally required database will bring more transparency to NYC’s spending. Kevin C. Downs for NY Post
Inna Vernikov (R-Brooklyn) is the bills primary sponsor. Stephen Yang
Bob Holden (D-Queens) is the bills second sponsor. Helayne SeidmanIt’s also the latest move by other city pols to push for more transparency when it comes to migrant spending.
Just last week, Lander stripped the city of its emergency contract powers, forcing agencies to clear each no-bid contract with the Comptroller’s Office before the deal can be inked.
“Codifying this into law would elevate the importance of this transparency,” Holden said when asked about how this would affect Lander’s current tracker.
Since the start of the crisis, more than 150,000 migrants have come through NYC, which is expected to cost the Big Apple more than $12 billion by 2025.
