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Statement
City Budget
Underbudgeting Still Clouds City’s Fiscal Picture, Even with Expanding Economy
April 24, 2024
While an expanding economy brightens the revenue outlook, low-balled expenditures still cloud the City’s fiscal picture.
Statement
State Budget
NYS Late Budget Fails to Reduce Structural Gap
$237B of Spending Approved without Providing Financial Plan Tables
April 20, 2024
Three weeks late, State lawmakers finally approved the budget and again have failed to publish basic financial plan tables that show New Yorkers essential details about how their money is being spent this year and the budget’s future impacts.
Statement
State Budget
Conceptual Budget Agreement Appears to Take State Further in Wrong Direction, Increasing Structural Gap above $16B
Lawmakers Should Show Basic Financial Plans
April 15, 2024
The two-week late “conceptual” budget agreement leaves New York State with a significant future structural budget gap likely exceeding $16 billion.
Statement
State Budget
Statement on Late NY State Budget for FY 2025, Need for Another Extender
April 11, 2024
Late budgets should still be good budgets. This final stretch should be short and produce a budget that is good for New Yorkers now and in the long run.
Statement
Pensions & Benefits
Statement on Proposed Tier 6 Benefit Sweetener as Part of State’s Fiscal Year 2025 Budget
March 27, 2024
The proposed change to Tier 6 pension benefits, which will cost the State and local governments in New York nearly $400 million per year, is unnecessary, expensive, and should be rejected.
Statement
State Budget
Statement on Medicaid/Managed Care Tax Proposal in NYS Budget Talks
March 26, 2024
The proposal to levy a new tax on Medicaid and other managed care plans to leverage $4 billion of federal money relies on speculative, temporary revenue to seed permanent spending increases.
Testimony
City Budget
Testimony on Public Safety Preliminary Budget Hearing
Submitted to the City Council Committee on Public Safety
March 20, 2024
CBC recently released “Straight from New Yorkers,” our 2023 Resident Survey, which provides a comprehensive, statistically valid, post-pandemic view into how New Yorkers feel about the quality of life in the city and how they rate government services.
Statement
State Budget
Statement on State One-House Budget Proposals
March 12, 2024
The Legislature's one-house proposals shift the budget discussion in the wrong direction. Both houses propose tax increases that would weaken New York’s already precarious competitive position.
Testimony
Housing
Testimony on the New York City Housing Authority and the City’s Preliminary Fiscal Year 2025 Budget
New York City Council Committee on Public Housing
March 12, 2024
Many critical steps should be taken quickly to stabilize NYCHA’s budget and improve physical conditions.
Testimony
City Budget
Testimony on NYC Fiscal Year 2025 Preliminary Budget
Submitted to the New York City Council Finance Committee
March 04, 2024
CBC’s analysis finds that the Preliminary Budget presents balanced budgets for fiscal years 2024 and 2025 as required by law; however, proposed spending in fiscal year 2025 is short by $3.6 billion needed to continue the current level of services.
Testimony
Transportation
Public Comment on the Proposed Structure For the Central Business District Tolling Program
Submitted to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority
February 29, 2024
While the Citizens Budget Commission (CBC) has long held the position that there should not be credits for bridge or tunnel crossings, we believe the Traffic Mobility Review Board’s (TMRB) congestion pricing toll recommendations, as a whole, are reasonable.
Statement
City Budget
Statement on the New York City Fiscal Year 2025 Preliminary Budget
January 16, 2024
While Mayor Adams leveraged strong revenues and wisely implemented two rounds of PEG savings to balance the Preliminary Budget, many more hard choices are still needed to stave off a fiscal reckoning.
Statement
State Budget
Statement on the New York State Executive Budget for Fiscal Year 2025
January 16, 2024
While the budget takes some important initial steps to reduce spending growth, significant additional restraint will still be needed to close the State’s structural budget imbalance.
Statement
State Budget
Statement on Governor Hochul's 2024 State of the State Address
January 09, 2024
Governor Hochul rightly highlighted the importance of ensuring New York is attractive and affordable to businesses and residents and the need to protect New Yorkers from more tax increases.
Testimony
State Budget
Testimony on Improving the State Budgetary Process
Delivered to the Select Committee on Budget and Tax Reform
December 17, 2009
In this testimony the CBC assesses the effectiveness of provisions in the New York State Budget Reform Act of 2007 and makes additional recommendations for improving transparency, forecasting, and flexibility.
Testimony
Transportation
Testimony on 2010 MTA Capital Plan
Delivered to State Senate Standing Committees
December 03, 2009
Testimony before the New York State Senate Standing Committees on Corporations, Authorities and Commissions and Investigations and Government Operations on the MTA's 2010-2014 capital plan.
Testimony
Economic Development
Testimony on Empire Zone Program
Submitted to NY City Council Economic Development Committee
November 24, 2009
The CBC argued that the Empire Zone program's mission has been lost, the program's objectives are not measured consistently, local agencies do not hold firms accountable for the economic commitments they make, and the program is failing to meet the targets firms set when they are approved for benefits.
Testimony
Energy & Environment
Testimony on NY Power Authority Economic Development Programs
Delivered to a Joint Session of State Committees
September 23, 2009
A testimony before a number of State Senate and Assembly committees which reviews the findings of a recent CBC report on the efficacy of NYPA's economic development programs.
Testimony
Transportation
Testimony on Challenges Facing the MTA
Submitted to Senate Finance Committee
September 03, 2009
Testimony of CBC President Carol Kellermann to the New York State Senate Finance Committee regarding the critical challenges that will face the MTA in the coming years, including balancing the MTA's operating budget, financing new capital investments, and planning and implementing capital projects.
Testimony
Education
Testimony on Improving the NYC Department of Education's Fiscal Transparency
Submitted to the NY City Council's Joint Education and Contract Committee
April 11, 2009
CBC submits this written testimony to the City Council joint Education and Contracts Committee hearing on oversight of the Department of Education's contracting and procurement process; CBC has two recommendations to increase accountability and transparency with regard to all of DOE’s fiscal operations, including contracting and procurement.