New Yorkers pay some of the highest taxes in the country, while Albany continues to spend more every year.

Joseph Hernandez believes New York has a spending problem, not a revenue problem. As Comptroller, he will bring an independent set of eyes to state finances, challenge reckless spending, and make sure taxpayers are getting value for every dollar Albany takes from them.

Audit Spending and Rein In Albany

The Comptroller should be a check on Albany’s spending, not a rubber stamp for it.

Hernandez will aggressively audit state agencies, public authorities, programs, and major spending initiatives to identify waste, unnecessary costs, and programs that are failing to deliver results. He will scrutinize the state budget for excessive spending, hidden liabilities, unrealistic assumptions, and long-term obligations that put taxpayers at risk.

Before Albany asks New Yorkers for another dollar, the government should prove it is responsibly managing the dollars it already has.

Protect Taxpayers Before the Money Is Spent

The Comptroller has significant authority to review state contracts before taxpayer dollars go out the door. Hernandez will use that authority aggressively.

State contracts should be transparent, properly procured, financially justified, and deliver real value for New Yorkers. Questionable contracts, excessive costs, and wasteful spending should be challenged before the money is spent—not discovered years later in an audit.

Protect Property Taxpayers and Local Governments

Albany’s financial decisions ultimately affect county governments, municipalities, school districts, homeowners, and small businesses across New York.

Hernandez will protect the integrity of the property tax cap and work to reduce the financial pressures that drive local taxes higher. That includes strengthening pension performance, controlling unnecessary costs, and bringing greater discipline to state spending.

Fraud and abuse do more than waste money. They take resources away from taxpayers and from the New Yorkers who legitimately depend on government services.

Joseph Hernandez will make fighting fraud a central mission of the Comptroller’s office, using audits, technology, data, and the office’s oversight authority to detect suspicious spending earlier and hold those responsible accountable.

Create a Fraud Strike Task Force

Hernandez will establish a dedicated Fraud Strike Task Force focused on identifying suspicious spending patterns, uncovering organized fraud schemes, coordinating investigations, and referring credible cases to law enforcement and prosecutors.

The mission will be straightforward: identify fraud faster, stop improper payments sooner, and recover taxpayer dollars whenever possible.

Stop Fraud Before Taxpayer Money Is Gone

Government should not have to wait until millions of dollars have already been lost to discover that something went wrong.

Hernandez will push the Comptroller’s office toward stronger pre-payment monitoring, advanced data analysis, and modern fraud-detection tools that can flag suspicious claims, vendors, and transactions before taxpayer dollars are paid out.

Oversight should be proactive, not just reactive.

Audit the MTA, Medicaid and Major Spending Programs

The largest areas of government spending deserve the strongest oversight.

Hernandez will prioritize aggressive audits of the MTA, Medicaid, CDPAP, state agencies, public authorities, and other major spending programs. His office will examine procurement, contracts, overtime, administrative costs, capital projects, improper payments, cost overruns, and other areas vulnerable to waste and abuse.

Audit findings will be made clear and accessible to the public. When evidence of wrongdoing is uncovered, it will be referred to the appropriate law enforcement authorities.

New York manages one of the largest public pension funds in the country. Joseph Hernandez believes those assets should be managed first and foremost to protect retirees and generate strong long-term returns.

But when competitive investment opportunities exist here at home, New York should not overlook them.

Strengthen the Pension Fund

The Comptroller serves as sole trustee of the New York State Common Retirement Fund. That responsibility requires disciplined investment management, strong risk controls, transparency, and a focus on long-term performance.

Hernandez will review investment performance, asset allocation, outside managers, and costs to ensure pension dollars are being managed efficiently and responsibly.

A stronger pension fund protects the retirement security of public employees while helping reduce contribution pressure on local governments and taxpayers.

Cut Excessive Wall Street Fees

Every unnecessary dollar paid in investment fees is a dollar that is not working for New York retirees.

Hernandez will demand greater transparency and accountability from outside investment managers and carefully evaluate whether the returns they generate justify the fees they charge.

Investment decisions will be driven by performance, risk, and long-term value—not politics, ideology, or relationships with Wall Street.

Create the Empire Opportunity Fund

Hernandez will pursue the creation of a $10 billion Empire Opportunity Fund to identify competitive investment opportunities connected to New York businesses, industries, infrastructure, and economic growth, while maintaining the Comptroller’s fiduciary responsibility to retirees.

Investments must stand on their own financial merits. There will be no political pet projects and no sacrificing pension returns to advance an ideological agenda.

When strong opportunities exist in New York, New York capital should have the opportunity to invest in them—from advanced manufacturing and technology to energy, life sciences, logistics, and other industries capable of creating jobs and long-term economic growth.