CITY OF NEWBURGH — Newburgh Comptroller John Aber resigned on Tuesday after being charged with felony grand larceny, city officials said.

Newburgh police are withholding details because the case is still under investigation. But the city issued a brief release about Aber’s arrest and the investigation just before 2 p.m., and Mayor Judy Kennedy said Aber had been charged with fourth-degree grand larceny.

Kennedy said she learned of the resignation and arrest around noon on Tuesday, less than 24 hours after Aber delivered his regular monthly financial report during Monday’s City Council meeting. Kathryn Mack, an accountant with the city, was named acting comptroller.

“First of all, I’m shocked; and second of all, I’m absolutely puzzled because my understanding is that it’s not that much money involved,” Kennedy said. “For somebody to risk their entire career, and their reputation, on the amount of money that’s involved, is plain stupid from my perspective.”

City police have yet to say what triggered the investigation and how much Aber is accused of taking. But because fourth-degree grand larceny is for theft over $1,000 and third-degree for property valued at over $3,000, it seems Aber is being charged with stealing an amount between those thresholds.

Aber was named Newburgh’s comptroller in September 2013, at an initial salary of $91,000, by then-interim City Manager James Slaughter. As comptroller he headed all aspects of Newburgh’s financial functions, overseeing account and payroll clerks, and the city’s tax collector.

He had spent 10 years as chief financial officer for New York City's Department of Consumer Affairs. His resume also included positions as budget manager for NYC's police department and public administrators' and district attorney's offices.

During his tenure with Newburgh, the city began stabilizing its finances and had earned upgrades in its bond rating from Moody’s. In February, nearly six years after Newburgh faced bankruptcy, the agency gave the city its highest bond rating since at least the early 1990s.

“He’s done so much good for us,” Councilwoman Genie Abrams said. “This is just a total mystery and a shock to me.”

Aber is the second high-ranking Newburgh official to resign this year in the face of criminal charges.

In January federal prosecutors charged former fire Chief Mike Vatter with wire fraud, accusing him of collecting more than $95,000 in pension benefits after ending his retirement to take over Newburgh’s fire department in 2009. Last month Vatter pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in White Plains and is due to be sentenced on Sept. 9.

Aber’s office had already been under scrutiny. Responding to complaints from former tax collector Helen Murphy that she had been unfairly fired, the Council agreed earlier this year to request that the state undertake an audit of Newburgh’s finance department.

For Councilwoman Cindy Holmes, who was one of those backing the request, Aber’s resignation increased the urgency for an audit.

“It doesn’t surprise me, and I hope that the state comes in and does the audit,” she said. “After this, we definitely need it ASAP.”

lsparks@th-record.com