Mount Vernon's comptroller says Mayor Richard Thomas is not signing checks needed to pay city vendors.

Comptroller Maureen Walker says the issue is putting worker's health care benefits in danger.

Thomas is responsible for signing off on all city checks. Walker processes the checks to vendors in her office and sends them to Thomas to sign. Walker says it's been almost two weeks and that he has 111 checks in his office to sign.

Walker says it got so bad last week that she had to have City Council President Marcus Griffith sign millions of dollars in checks because items like health care benefits were in jeopardy.

Thomas insists Walker's actions crossed the line

"What she's done was illegal and inappropriate. The comptroller has been here for two decades. She should know better. It requires my signature," he says.

Thomas adds that the reason he did not sign the checks yet is because he's conducting his own review to make sure the city is not being ripped off.