Local officials in Central NY want answers to why a routine, $1700 check from the cash-strapped state has bounced. Oswego County Sheriff Moe Todd, who normally enforces the state’s strict check-bouncing rules, was slapped with a $25 bank fee after Albany’s check was returned uncashed by the bank.
State bureaucrats offered differing explanations for the foul-up, but insist it’s not related to the state’s perilous finances, or looming $4 billion deficit.
County officials are steamed that Democrats in Albany keep passing extra costs to the counties-and onto the backs of local taxpayers-yet still can’t seem to meet their own obligations.
The State of New York’s fiscal woes have dominated headlines this year and Oswego County government leaders are now wondering just how serious the situation may be.
Not only is the state passing on more and more costs to county governments, it also passed a bad check to Oswego County recently.
Tuesday, county officials received a check returned from the bank unpaid with the notation “refer to maker.” The check was drawn from the account of the State Comptroller in the amount of $1,798.86.
“The comptroller’s office is telling us it’s a bank mix-up and the bank is telling us it’s the state’s problem,” Sheriff Reuel “Moe” Todd said Wednesday.
Besides not receiving the money, the county was charged a return-check fee, he noted.
The check was payment for money garnisheed from the paychecks of state employees. The money is taken from the employees’ checks and deposited into an account in the comptroller’s office, Todd explained.
A check is forwarded to the county sheriff’s department where it is redistributed to those creditors who are owed the money.
Todd said the check will be handled as any other bounced check. If the state doesn’t make good on the check, a protest will be filed.
The protest would allow the county to take either civil or criminal action, pursuant to state law.
