Huntington Bay Mayor Herb Morrow charged $1,234.55 in personal expenses on village card, internal review finds

An internal review of charges on a Huntington Bay Village credit card has found that the mayor used the card for personal expenses, an auditor said Monday while recommending that trustees implement measures to ensure accountability.

The review examined credit card records from January 2018 to July 2023, totaling $13,078.37; of that amount, Mayor Herb Morrow charged $1,234.55 in personal expenses, said village accountant Emily Hayes, who presented the findings at the trustee meeting on Monday. The mayor has reimbursed "all of the money," said Hayes, who works for the village as a contractor and conducted the review.

Morrow did not respond to a request for comment Tuesday and did not take questions from the media following the meeting. 

The mayor surrendered his card in June following complaints from residents that said he used the village credit card for personal expenses, including dining at restaurants — some out of state — Amtrak train travel and at liquor and grocery stores. 

Separately, the Suffolk County district attorney is investigating expenses on the card. 

For the review, Hayes said the mayor provided receipts totaling $2,319.58. She said the mayor could not provide all receipts for the five-year-period. She also said she relied on Morrow’s description of the expenses without receipts, so she could not substantiate all the charges. 

Village officials did not provide a copy of the review to Newsday. 

Three village officials had charging rights on the credit card, including the mayor, village administrator and the deputy village administrator, documents obtained through a Freedom of Information Law request show.

At the Monday meeting, Hayes recommended that the five-member board review all credit card charges and monthly invoices before the bills are submitted for approval for payment. She also recommended that two trustees review all checks before they are paid out. 

The board will consider the recommendations, Morrow said at the meeting, which at times featured testy responses from the board to queries from the five or so residents in attendance.

Residents said it's concerning that it wasn't until recently that the board followed a recommendation in a 2012 state comptroller's report to adopt a credit card use policy. The report cited the village for not keeping track of credit card charges.

A credit card policy was instituted after the June board meeting; the village now has one credit card with a $5,000 limit. Only the village administrator/clerk is allowed to use it, village officials said.

Resident Patricia Antonucci, one of the residents who has called attention to village finances, said Monday after the meeting that the board should request Morrow’s resignation.

“I don’t think he has served the public interest,” she said.

John Woodland, a 45-year village resident and a former member of the zoning board of appeals, said he was not satisfied with the internal review, saying the accountant did not provide sufficient detail.

“I don’t think it was an honest look,” he said. “It’s clear no one on the board cares much about this and they still don’t.”

Village trustees Jay Meyer, Don Rave, Mark Dara and Barbara Beuerlein did not respond to requests for comments Tuesday.