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Blog
State Budget
Don’t Get Too High on Potential Marijuana Revenues
December 13, 2018
There is significant revenue potential from the marijuana industry, but research suggests that many months or years of careful planning precede consistent revenues.
Blog
Pensions & Benefits
NYC Long-term Liabilities Top $257 Billion
October 31, 2018
The City's liabilities reached a record $257.3 billion, an increase of $4.7 billion since fiscal year 2017.
Blog
Housing
NYCHA's Untapped Assets
How NYCHA Can Maximize the Value of Infill Development
October 02, 2018
CBC illustrates how changes to an "infill" development project’s location or affordability mix can significantly affect revenue and units rehabilitated at NYCHA.
Blog
Taxes
New York City Homeowners
Who's Got the Unfairest Tax Burden of Them All?
September 12, 2018
One of the basic principles of good tax policy is equity: similarly situated taxpayers should have similarly sized tax bills. New York City’s property tax system does not comport with this principle.
Blog
Housing
NYCHA’s Physical Conditions Remain the Worst in the City
Insights from the 2017 Housing and Vacancy Survey
August 29, 2018
Every three years, the U.S. Census Bureau conducts a New York City Housing and Vacancy Survey (HVS), which provides the most comprehensive information available on the size, nature, and condition of New York City’s housing stock.
Blog
Transportation
Three Takeaways from the MTA's Financial Plan
July 2018 Update
August 13, 2018
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) released its 2019 Preliminary Budget and four-year financial plan last month. Here are three important takeaways.
Press Release
Housing
CBC Recommends Immediate and Dramatic Changes to Address NYCHA's $32 Billion Capital Needs
July 03, 2018
"Stabilizing the Foundations" is a comprehensive report that details the causes of NYCHA's massive capital needs and presents recommendations that should be adopted to improve tenants' quality of life.
Blog
Education
Absent Teacher Reserve Costs $136 Million and Needs Reform
June 14, 2018
Teachers in the Absentee Teacher Reserve (ATR) will cost the City $136 million in this school year. The City should pursue reforms to the ATR, such as a 6-month time limit, in upcoming labor negotiations with the UFT.
Blog
Pensions & Benefits
Bitter Truth
Many Benefit Sweeteners Lack Required Fiscal Estimates
June 06, 2018
To date the New York State Legislature has introduced 138 bills in this session that enhance the benefits of state and local public employees. How much these bills could cost taxpayers is unknown.
Blog
Pensions & Benefits
Four Egregious Benefit Enhancement Bills
2018 Benefit Sweetener Scorecard Update
May 18, 2018
The 135 active bills identified on the Citizens Budget Commission’s 2018 Benefit Sweetener Scorecard this session could cost the State and local governments at least $428 million.
Press Release
State Budget
CBC Recommends Strategies to Mitigate Federal Tax Law Threat to New York's Competitiveness and New Yorkers
March 19, 2018
The CBC released a comprehensive report detailing the massive impacts the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act will have on the residents and revenues of New York State, as well as the steps needed to address these problems.
Blog
City Budget
City's Fourth Extension of the School Bus Grant Program Should Be Rejected
March 08, 2018
The City Council should reject this program, and all new school bus contracts should be awarded with an eye toward realizing savings in the costs of pupil transportation, now more than $1.2 billion.
Blog
Pensions & Benefits
A Budget Proposal That Seems Fiscally Responsible, But Doesn’t Tackle the True Problem
February 22, 2018
It's time to eliminate the expensive and risky benefits provided by the TDA.
Blog
Education
Governor’s Education Proposal Pierces Cap And Lacks Needed Reforms
February 20, 2018
The NYS FY2018-2019 Executive Budget increases school aid by $769 million, or 3 percent, to $26.4 billion- twice the increase allowed by the school aid cap.
Press Release
Pensions & Benefits
CBC Uncovers Potential $160 Million In Savings From Better Management Of NYC's Union-Administered Benefit Funds
February 08, 2018
CBC today released the report Union-Administered Benefit Funds: Getting More Out of a Billion Dollar Taxpayer Contribution, which gives short-term and long-term recommendations for improving the inefficient operations of union-administered benefit funds.
Blog
Transportation
Tsk-tsk on Governor’s TIF Proposal
February 02, 2018
The FY 2019 Executive Budget proposed to allow the MTA to create tax increment financing districts in NYC to raise revenue for capital improvements. Though TIFs can play a useful role, the proposal is flawed.
Blog
Education
Ripe for Reform
$466 Million in Education Aid
January 02, 2018
New York State will send $25 billion to local school districts during the 2017-2018 school year, accounting for approximately 37 percent of school district revenues.
Blog
Pensions & Benefits
Simple But Significant
Savings from the Elimination of the Medicare Part B Reimbursement
December 19, 2010
As New York’s elected officials consider options for balancing budgets in the face of record deficits, they should eliminate a public employee fringe benefit rarely offered anywhere else: reimbursement for Medicare Part B premiums.
Blog
Pensions & Benefits
What is OPEB and Why Does it Cost $9.4 Billion?
December 05, 2010
The true cost of retiree health insurance and "other postemployment benefits," or OPEB, was $9.4 billion in fiscal year 2010. Why it cost so much and what should be done about it.
Blog
Pensions & Benefits
Not so sweet
June 20, 2010
While the State and local governments struggle to pay for current salaries and fringe benefits of public employees and to fully fund the pension system for retirees - resorting to a "borrowing" scheme to stretch out required payments - the State Legislature has remained undeterred in introducing and acting upon bills that would add even more costs in the 2010 session.