Watching neighborhood councils

The Department of Neighborhood Empowerment needs to tighten its controls and review of spending by the 89 neighborhood councils in the city to make sure the $45,000 provided to each group each year is spent properly, according to an audit released Tuesday. Daily News.

Controller Wendy Greuel, in her first major audit since taking office, said DONE is far behind in reviewing expense statements and budgets of the neighborhood councils and has had "lax oversight that has allowed the NCs to operate with insufficient financial controls."

Among other things, Greuel found that DONE is late in reviewing more than 300 quarterly expenditure reports and 24 neighborhood councils are at least one year behind in submitting expenses. The audit also found the department was unaware of how much money was available to the neighborhood councils.