VERIZON AUDIT NETS SUFFOLK $1 MILLION +  

Hauppauge , New York - An audit of Suffolk County tele- communication billings by Verizon,
particularly the E911 system, has netted the County over $1 million to date, according to
County Comptroller Joseph Sawicki, Jr., and that figure could reach $2 million by the time the
audit is completed by late next year.  “On top of the $1,250,000 credit that Verizon already
issued, the county will realize a monthly reduction of $22,000 going forward as a result of
corrections made to the billings system,” explained Sawicki.

The Comptroller cited the county’s complicated phone bills for the reason in auditing Verizon. 
“Also the fact that we pay Verizon $630,000 per month for all the county’s phone lines and its
vital E911 system, I thought it prudent to perform the audit,” said Sawicki.

Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy said, “Any savings that can be realized through an audit
of our communication system is welcome news in these fiscally challenging times.”

The Comptroller’s office contracted with a private firm, Phone Review of Mineola,   to go back
more than 5 years and conduct a highly specialized audit of the county’s telecommunications
bills, its hundreds of phone lines and to determine whether the county was paying the correct
rates to Verizon.  The audit began in January 2008 and is continuing. 

A complete evaluation of Suffolk’s E911 system uncovered the bulk of the overcharges. 
“Due to the intricate nature of telecommunications charges in the E911 system, Phone Review
uncovered an extreme amount of errors in the mileage calculations that tie the various facilities
together through the communications network,” explained Sawicki.  “Those errors account for
over 90% of the $1.25 million dollars in credits issued.”

It’s important to note that Suffolk will realize this $22,000 per month as future recurring savings
resulting from the removal of overcharged items from the accounts.          

Phone Review was awarded the contract based on a commission fee only, being paid at a rate
of 30% of their findings.