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Op Ed
Pensions & Benefits
Fringe Benefits Challenge New York School Budgets
July 20, 2015
The problems facing school districts are complex, but one common challenge is the unrelenting rise in fringe benefit costs.
Letter
Pensions & Benefits
CBC Encourages Governor Cuomo to Veto Four Pension Sweeteners
July 13, 2015
This letter calls for vetoing four pension sweeteners (A7490/S3010, A6771A/S4907, A5327C/S3948B, and A7547/S5785) that would begin to undo savings from hard-won pension reforms.
Statement
City Budget
Statement on FY16 Adopted Budget for New York City
June 22, 2015
The FY 16 adopted budget announced by the Mayor and the Council this evening adds approximately $200 million in spending for additional police, social service providers and other programs.
Op Ed
City Budget
New York City Should Be Cautious About Increasing Its Debt
June 16, 2015
New York City has more outstanding debt than ever before, and Mayor Bill de Blasio has proposed a 10-year capital plan that will increase it substantially.
Op Ed
City Budget
The New York City Housing Authority's Bold Plan Deserves Support
May 27, 2015
Mayor Bill de Blasio and Shola Olatoye, Chair and CEO of the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA), released a 10-year roadmap called "NextGeneration NYCHA". The roadmap is a bold plan that deserves to be supported.
Testimony
Capital Spending
Testimony On Ten-Year Capital Strategy and Capital Budget
Delivered to NY City Council Committee on Finance
May 18, 2015
The Mayor's Ten-Year Capital Strategy totals $83.8 billion- a $30 billion increase from the prior plan. CBC has two main concerns about the Strategy: there is insufficient information available to judge the investments, and the investments will add to the City’s high debt burden.
Statement
City Budget
Statement on Mayor de Blasio's Executive Budget for FY 2016
May 07, 2015
The continuing strong performance of the local economy provides a favorable context for the Executive Budget released by Mayor Bill de Blasio.
Op Ed
City Budget
The Importance of Increasing Efficiency in New York City Government
April 26, 2015
Mayor Bill de Blasio has thus far declined to require city agencies to meet targets for increasing efficiency in the delivery of government services. In doing so, he has broken a pattern established by every mayor since the fiscal crisis in the 1970s, and he's taking a gamble that may come back to haunt the city's taxpayers.
Testimony
City Budget
Testimony Examining Health Care Savings Under Recent Collective Bargaining Agreements
Delivered to the NYC Council Committee on Finance
April 01, 2015
Savings that would have normally been reserved for general budget needs—such as funding libraries or maintaining public parks—and are attributable to a national slowdown in health care costs, are now being credited to the health savings agreement.
Letter
State Budget
Recommendations on the FY 2016 Executive Budget
February 25, 2015
CBC's recommendations to the State legislature cover six proposals that deserve support, three proposals that should be improved, and three proposals that should be rejected.
Op Ed
City Budget
Residential Garbage Fees Vital to Achieving NYC's Environmental Goals and Lowering Costs
February 17, 2015
Landfilled trash managed by New York City's Department of Sanitation costs $300 million each year and produces more than 1 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions. The high expense and environmental impact result from the City's low residential diversion rate and high reliance on private and municipal landfills in faraway locations.
Statement
City Budget
Statement on Mayor de Blasio's Preliminary FY 2016 Budget
February 09, 2015
The Preliminary Budget for Fiscal Year 2016 reflects the good news that New York City's economy continues to thrive and provide additional revenues, while retaining a large general reserve and other funds for potential risks.
Op Ed
State Budget
Albany Handcuffs New York’s Cities
July 04, 2012
Local governments in New York are under serious and growing fiscal pressure, and the Legislature isn’t doing enough to ease the burden. Unfortunately, the Legislature seems oblivious.
Testimony
City Budget
Testimony on the NYC Executive Budget for FY2013
To NY City Council Committee on Finance
June 06, 2012
First, the Council should focus on structural changes to municipal finances that will make budgeting easier in future years. Second, the Council should phase out the unusual practice of reimbursing retired municipal workers for their Medicare Part B premiums.
Op Ed
City Budget
Cleaning Up NY's Garbage Disposal
June 03, 2012
New York City generates more than 25 tons of garbage per minute. That's 14 million tons per year, and the city's Department of Sanitation spends $2 billion annually to collect and dispose of about a third of it.
Op Ed
Pensions & Benefits
Sneak Labor Giveaway
May 05, 2012
Across New York, the cost of health benefits for retired government employees is growing so rapidly that it threatens to crowd out funding for essential government services. Rather than lay off police or close libraries, public officials may want to use their discretion to alter retiree health insurance — but some state legislators are trying to take away that discretion.
Op Ed
City Budget
Fix NYC’s ‘Prevailing Wage’ Law
March 27, 2012
The City Council is set to take up a bill to expand the prevailing-wage law to cover building-service workers in buildings and projects that get financial assistance from the city. Whatever the merits of that expansion, we urgently need much greater transparency in how the “prevailing wage” is determined.
Statement
City Budget
Statement on the CityTime Settlement
March 14, 2012
The $500 million CityTime settlement announced today is welcome news to New Yorkers. It is important that the recouped funds be used, not for short-term budget relief and restorations, but to help defray the costs of the City’s capital program.
Statement
Public Workforce
Statement on Tier VI Reforms
March 14, 2012
The bill that passed both houses of the State Legislature early this morning included important, beneficial changes in most components of the pension formulas that will determine benefits for future employees.
Op Ed
Pensions & Benefits
New York State’s Pension Plan
March 12, 2012
Deferrals of pension fund contributions by New York State and localities relies on unconvincing arguments by the State Comptroller that the plan is justified by the need for short-term relief from rising pension costs and that it is transparent.