Search
Showing 141 - 160 of 394
Blog
Taxes
Pied-à-Terre Tax
Appealing but Problematic
March 13, 2019
The pied-à-terre tax is appealing politically because it is levied on wealthy people with means to pay and nonresidents who do not vote. Nevertheless, it is problematic for several reasons.
Blog
City Budget
PEGging It Right
Guidelines for the PEG Process
March 05, 2019
For the first time since taking office, Mayor Bill de Blasio has announced plans to implement a Program to Eliminate the Gap (PEG), which requires agencies to generate savings through expense reductions or revenue enhancements. The de Blasio administration previously eschewed PEGs in favor of Citywide Savings Plans (CSPs); in contrast to the PEG, agency participation in the CSP was voluntary. Pursuing a PEG presents both a challenge and an opportunity. This blog proposes three guidelines for the process: 1) identify significantly more than $750 million in savings, 2) encourage recurring savings through efficiency, and 3) follow agencies’ leads.
Blog
City Budget
NYC Revenues in a Recession
Quantifying the Potential Shortfall
February 26, 2019
The potential shortfall from a recession comparable to the last two recessions could be substantial: between $15 billion and $20 billion below projections over three years.
Podcast episode
City Budget
25,000 with Vishaan Chakrabarti
February 21, 2019
25,000 is the number of jobs that would have been created under a now-defunct deal with Amazon to create a second headquarters in Long Island City, Queens. Vishaan Chakrabarti, founder of the Practice for Architecture and Urbanism (PAU), discusses the deal and how its failure may impact New York City's economic competitiveness.
Blog
Health Care
Medicaid Supplemental Payments
State Workgroup Makes Limited Progress on Part of the Problem
February 15, 2019
New York State’s $78 billion Medicaid program includes $5.3 billion of “supplemental payments”. These supplemental payments are crucial to hospitals across the state, especially those largely serving uninsured and Medicaid populations.
Podcast episode
City Budget
$92.2 billion, with Sally Goldenberg
February 08, 2019
$92.2 billion is the size of the NYC's FY 2020 preliminary budget proposed by Mayor de Blasio. Sally Goldenberg, the City Hall bureau chief for Politico NY, joins the podcast to discuss the budget and what to expect as budget season kicks off.
Video
City Budget
The Mayor Called on NYC Agencies to Cut Their Budgets, But is the City Saving Enough?
NY1 Inside City Hall
February 08, 2019
CBC President Andrew Rein and IBO Director Ronnie Lowenstein joined Errol Louis on NY1 Inside City Hall to analyze the budget and explain if the city is saving enough for the next economic downturn.
Podcast episode
Energy & Environment
8.4%, with Energy Experts
February 05, 2019
8.4% is the reduction in carbon dioxide emissions in New York between 1990 and 2015. Governor Cuomo now wants to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 40% by 2030. Is this goal realistic? A panel of energy experts met at the CBC State Conference to help answer this question.
Blog
City Budget
Sound Strategy, Sound Future
Recommended Approach for the City’s Preliminary FY 2020 Budget
February 01, 2019
A thriving economy has allowed the City to increase spending by $20 billion since fiscal year 2014. The City should undertake a necessary course correction with this four-part strategy:
Podcast episode
Energy & Environment
2040 with Seth Hulkower
January 31, 2019
2040 is the year by which Governor Andrew Cuomo wants New York to transition to 100 percent clean electricity. Is this target realistic? Are we on pace to meet it? And at what cost? Seth Hulkower--an expert on energy policy and the former COO of the Long Island Power Authority--joined the podcast to help answer these questions.
Podcast episode
City Budget
$175 Billion, with Andrew Rein
January 17, 2019
$175.2 billion is the size of Governor Cuomo's proposed budget for fiscal year 2020. CBC President Andrew Rein joined the podcast to help unpack the proposed budget.
Blog
City Budget
Charter Revision 2019
Clearing Out the Clutter
December 14, 2018
The 2019 Commission will avoid the shortcomings of recent commissions if it stays true to its stated criteria and pursues Charter revisions that simplify and update the document.
Podcast episode
City Budget
2,268 with Stephen Eide
December 13, 2018
2,268 is the average daily number of people in adult psychiatric centers in New York State, a decrease from a peak of more than 93,000 people in 1955. Stephen Eide, a Senior Fellow at the Manhattan Institute, discusses the impacts of deinstitutionalization in New York.
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.
Podcast episode
City Budget
18.6%, with Greg David and Cara Eisenpress
November 30, 2018
18.6% is the poverty rate in New York City. Greg David and Cara Eisenpress, both from Crain's New York Business and the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY, discuss their recent reporting exploring New York City's safety net, how it's funded, and how it compares to other places (hint: a lot better).
Video
City Budget
CBC Releases Recommendations on How FDNY Should Allocate Its Resources
Fox 5 New York
November 25, 2018
Citizens Budget Commission releases recommendations on how #FDNY should allocate its resources.
Op Ed
Economic Development
The Smart Money on Amazon
Strengths and weaknesses in the Long Island City deal
November 23, 2018
As New Yorkers search for Black Friday deals, including on Amazon, we are also scrutinizing the deal offered to the retail giant to come to Long Island City.
Podcast episode
City Budget
Episode 59: 1981
November 16, 2018
The data point for today is 1981, the year in which the State Legislature enacted S7000A, the landmark bill that formalized the current property tax system for New York City. A response to the Hellerstein case, which found the system was in violation of State law, S7000A essentially codified the status quo.In doing so, it established a system of property classification, fractional assessments, caps, phase-ins, and class shares that is still with us 37 years later. These structural features and statutory requirements are the root of the system’s inequities and complexities. A home worth $500,000 can face the same tax bill as a home worth $1.5 million, while the value of a condominium unit, according to the City, is a fraction of its sale price. In fact, some buildings have values that are below the sale price of individual units. And commercial and rental property faces a higher average property tax burden than 1-, 2- and 3-family homes.
These inequities and problems have led to repeated calls for reform, including pending litigation. This past May, Mayor de Blasio and Speaker Johnson formed the Advisory Commission on Property Tax Reform. In September, the Citizens Budget Commission, the Regional Plan Association, and NYU Robert Wagner School of Public Service held a panel to discuss the problem, inequities and potential reforms
Blog
Energy & Environment
Commercial Waste Zones
A Green Solution in More Ways Than One
November 07, 2018
The City's plan deserves support.
Podcast episode
City Budget
3, with Cesar Perales
November 01, 2018
3 is the number of proposals on the November 6 ballot from Mayor de Blasio’s Charter Revision Commission. In this episode Commission Chair Cesar Perales discusses the proposed amendments.