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Letter
State Budget
New York State Should Responsibly Address Serious Fiscal Imbalance
A Letter to Governor Cuomo, Majority Leader Stewart-Cousins, and Speaker Heastie
December 10, 2019
The Citizens Budget Commission welcomes the recognition that the State must immediately address its serious fiscal imbalance.
Testimony
Taxes
Comments on New York City Property Tax Reform
December 04, 2019
The balancing act facing legislators as they consider proposals to reform the property tax is how to increase equity, fairness, and transparency, while maintaining fiscal stability and reliability.
Testimony
Education
Testimony on the Distribution of the Foundation Aid Formula as it Relates to Pupil and District Needs
December 03, 2019
Despite significant increases in state aid and local revenues, not all districts have the resources to provide a sound basic education, and some wealthy districts have more than needed.
Testimony
Education
Testimony to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights
June 12, 2019
Despite significant increases in state aid and local revenues—not all districts have the resources to provide a sound basic education in 2020.
Op Ed
Education
No, New York Shouldn't Add Billions in New Education Funding
What the state really needs to do is focus aid on districts that need it
March 11, 2019
Albany should target the distribution of school aid to districts that need it, rather than ensure that almost every district gets more no matter its circumstance.
Testimony
Education
State Education Aid Proposal for 2019-2020
Testimony Submitted to a Joint Legislative Budget Hearing on Elementary and Secondary Education
February 06, 2019
In the aggregate New York State spends enough to provide all students with a sound basic education; however, State school aid is not targeted well enough to achieve this goal in all districts.
Statement
Taxes
CBC Convenes Special Committee to Focus on Federal Tax Cuts
December 21, 2017
The Special Committee consists of CBC trustees, civic leaders, and policy experts, and will identify the greatest impacts and options for appropriate state and local government action.
Op Ed
State Budget
Repeal the Film Tax Credit, But Don't Expect Savings Just Yet
Even if this wasteful program is killed in 2018, its expenditures will continue for years
December 13, 2017
The Citizens Budget Commission is a long-time critic of the New York State Film Tax Credit program and supports its repeal. However, due to some unusual provisions of state tax law, repeal of the credit will not yield immediate state savings.
Testimony
Education
Public Comment on School Planning and Siting Process
Submitted to the NYC Council Working Group on School Planning, Siting, and Overcrowding
May 24, 2017
CBC offers two recommendations for improving the school planning and siting process: maximize use of existing capacity, and target new capacity to areas with the highest need.
Op Ed
City Budget
End de Blasio’s giveaway to bus companies
May 09, 2017
The program was bad policy from the outset-- and was extended for a third year. The City Council should defund it when the budget is adopted.
Statement
Taxes
Statement on Property Tax Lawsuit
April 25, 2017
A judicial review based on objective evidence presented in a public forum can be a catalyst for constructive change of the seriously flawed NYC property tax.
Op Ed
Education
Fix NY's broken formula for distributing school aid
March 22, 2017
How much more funding should New York state provide to Syracuse public schools? A report by the Citizens Budget Commission, for which I was the primary author, says that an increase of $83 million is needed for the City of Syracuse school district.
Op Ed
Education
How Much More State Education Funding Is Needed?
March 08, 2017
With reforms to the way funding is distributed, the State can fund a "sound, basic education" with $569 million more in annual funding.
Testimony
City Budget
Comments on Proposed Small Business Services Rule on Bus Contracts
Pursuant to Section 1301 of the New York City Charter
January 30, 2017
CBC opposes extending the Department of Small Business Services program providing grants to companies that provide school bus transportation in order to maintain the wages and benefits of certain employees for a third year.
Op Ed
State Budget
Priorities for Governor Cuomo's Next Budget
December 17, 2012
Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature have successfully tackled serious budget issues in recent years, but important challenges remain. These must be addressed in his next budget in order to improve the state's fiscal condition and give local governments better tools to manage their structural deficits.
Op Ed
Education
Stretching New York's Public Education Dollar
October 14, 2012
CBC President Carol Kellermann pens an opinion piece on the Huffington Post on how New York State's education dollars are spread inequitably among school districts and spent disproportionately on employee benefits, not on improving the quality of education.
Letter
Education
CBC Urges Veto of Costly Special Education Mandate
July 27, 2012
This letter urges Governor Cuomo to veto a bill that would allow for consideration of a child’s “home environment and family background” in determining special education placements. This provision has the potential to create significant costs for school districts.
Testimony
Education
Testimony to the Education Reform Commission
July 26, 2012
Simply put, the aggregate amount of money is not the problem. Rather, current funding needs to be re-targeted to reflect new priorities.
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.
Op Ed
City Budget
The Big Difference in Next Year's New York City Budget
February 23, 2012
Earlier this month, Mayor Michael Bloomberg presented New York City's Financial Plan for the next four years. It demonstrates a stark new reality: there is no large surplus of revenues, as there has been in past years, to help balance the budget.