Huntington Bay mayor surrenders credit card after charges of personal use

Huntington Bay Mayor Herb Morrow said he has surrendered his village-issued credit card after a resident last month complained he used the card for personal expenses, such as dining at restaurants — some out of state — Amtrak train travel and at the grocery store. 

Morrow, at the village board meeting Monday night, also said a third party will review charges going back four years. 

“It will be an internal review and I’m completely open to it,” Morrow said.

On Friday, at a special meeting of the trustees, the village's outside counsel, Anthony Guardino, suggested that the village’s accountant review credit card statements made during the past four years.

Morrow also said Monday he has reimbursed the village for personal charges he said he inadvertently made. Going forward he added, if needed, he will make village purchases and submit a voucher for reimbursement.

He declined to confirm the amount he has reimbursed, saying he is following Guardino's advice to wait until the accountant's report is complete.

The village accountant, Emily Hayes, an outside contractor, said Monday she’s aiming to complete her review before the next village board meeting in July. A date for that meeting has not yet been set.

Resident Patti Antonucci on Monday cited a 2012 state comptroller's report that called out village officials for not keeping track of credit card charges. The report recommended the village update its credit card use policy.

“I don’t accuse people of doing things they don’t do,” Antonucci said. “But I don’t think there’s any question here but the money was misspent and inappropriately used.”

Morrow said the village does not have a policy on credit card use but would implement one.

He also said Monday his use of the credit card was appropriate. 

In March, the village landed on the state comptroller’s list of municipalities “susceptible to fiscal stress.”

Newsday on June 9 obtained information for village-issued credit card and bank statements between Jan. 1, 2020, and April 30 through a Freedom of Information request. The statements show a list of charges Morrow made at several establishments, including at wine shops, eateries and subscriptions for Newsday and AOL. Among the expenses are:

• In 2020, a total charge of $1,506.73, including a $265.51 charge at Jonathan's Ristorante in Huntington.
• In 2021, a total of $1,200.26, including $124.20 at Caruso's Italian Fine Food in Huntington and $130.34 for McAfee security software. 
• In 2022, a total of $2,515.80, with an expense of $425.37 at IL Posto Di Joey, a restaurant in Huntington.
• In 2023, three restaurant charges, including one for $175.13 at Posto Pazzo in Huntington.

Statements for March and April 2023 were not provided.

Between Jan. 1, 2020 and April 30, the village was charged late fees five times in amounts of either $39 or $29.

Morrow's most consistent charges on the card were for subscriptions for Newsday and AOL for varying amounts. 

There were several testy exchanges between residents and the five-member board Monday. As they did at a board meeting last month, residents continued to question why the village's reserve funds dropped from $407,377 in 2020 to $89,277 in 2022. They also complained about a lack of transparency from the board, especially on bigger expenditures. 

Morrow said the village stopped conducting audits of its finances either in 2014 or 2016 because 67% of its budget goes toward the village’s police force to cover expenses such as payroll, gas and bullets for their weapons.

“We were paying $18,000 a year to audit 30% and we looked at the last audit we had and it didn’t say anything,” he said. 

About 50 residents attended the Monday meeting. The village has a population of 1,600 residents.

Morrow said the village is not legally obligated to conduct audits. He said he'd prefer instead to spend money on other projects such as road repairs.

He also said he will issue a report each quarter on village expenditures.

Resident Jason Palmer said the board needs to formalize policies on expense management and approval and extenuating expenditures.

“It’s just good governance,” he said.