DiNapoli cracks down on wasteful Roosevelt Island spending

A state audit has found that the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp. spent some $88,000 on questionable expenses

Thomas DiNopli and Roosevelt Island
Thomas DiNopli and Roosevelt Island

A state audit has found that executives and employees who manage Roosevelt Island spent $88,000 on questionable expenses from 2010 through 2012.

Some of the questionable spending includes a trip to the Netherlands, $4,143 for promotional items such as magnet squares, movie banners and table throws, and $27,420 to supply food for parties, according the New York Post. $3,638 was spent on six high-definition TVs.

Employees at the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp. — a public-benefit corporation created by the state in 1984 – are also accused of using corporate credit cards for personal purchases at iTunes, Best Buy and Enterprise car rental.

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Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli said no one seemed to be watching the bottom line at the RIOC.

Many of the expenses, such as $14,560 for three sessions of “customer service” training and $12,000 for 11 sessions of “horticulture” training, have no documentation to justify the expenditures.

In response to the audit, RIOC CEO Charlene Indelicato said the agency has overhauled its procedures to better manage discretionary spending. [NYP]Christopher Cameron