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Report
Pensions & Benefits
The Explosion in Pension Costs
10 Things New Yorkers Should Know About Retirement Benefits for New York City Employees
April 06, 2009
In recent years, one of the fastest growing expenses for New York City government has been retirement benefits for municipal workers. This growth is driven mainly by investment losses in the pension funds and the enrichment of retirement benefits. As New York taxpayers have a critical interest in understanding the reasons behind the explosion in retirement benefit costs and what can be done to limit future liabilities, this report summarizes 10 facts about retirement benefits for New York employees.
Report
Pensions & Benefits
Six-Figure Civil Servants
Average Compensation Cost Of New York City Public Employees
January 08, 2009
In fiscal year 2008, the average compensation cost per New York City full-time employee was $106,743; this figure represents a system out of sync with the private sector and an opportunity to limit the growth of the City’s liability in the future while continuing to provide fair and adequate compensation to the City’s employees. Three factors that have driven the growth in compensation among City employees are: 1) Pay increases are directly attributable to contract settlements with unions; 2) More generous terms of the health insurance benefits offered by the City, as compared to the private sector and other state and local governments; and 3) The benefit retirement plans offered by the City that lock in the City’s future payouts to retirees based on the employee’s pay, years of employment and age at retirement among other factors. CBC offers three recommendations in response to these factors.
Report
Capital Spending
How Public-Private Partnerships Can Help New York Address Its Infrastructure Needs
December 11, 2008
This report explores the application of public-private partnership (PPPs) in New York by explaining its definition of such a relationship and offering in-depth guidelines, potential applications (including highway bridges, New York City school buildings, New York City parks, and higher education facilities), examples on a global, national, and local level, and potential missteps and cautions.
Report
Capital Spending
Capital Budgeting for 2030
Achieving the Goals of PLANYC
December 01, 2007
This report analyzes Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s PLANYC, a new long-range planning initiative for New York City's capital assets and infrastructure. The report identifies the four greatest challenges confronting this initiative and makes recommendations for overcoming them.
Report
Taxes
A Simulation of Business Taxes in New York City and Other Locations
June 02, 2007
This report focuses on state and local business taxes in New York City, showing that those taxes are dramatically higher than comparable taxes for key competitors. Combined federal, state, and local taxes reduce the rate of return on new business investment in New York City significantly – about 36-50 percent, depending on location and industry. Most of this is due to federal tax – typically 34-36 percentage points. Taxes in New York City were the highest in all industries in 2006, and were highest or second-highest under virtually all scenarios examined. By contrast, taxes in other New York locations often were lowest or nearly lowest among the locations compared.
Report
City Budget
Making the Most of Our Parks
June 01, 2007
In this report, CBC addresses six challenges that prevent New York City from making the most of its parks.
Report
Taxes
How Much Do Taxes Matter?
A Citizens Budget Commission Panel Discussion
December 11, 2006
In this background paper prepared for a panel discussion "How Much Do Taxes Matter? New York City's Tax Burden and Economic Competitiveness," which was convened by CBC on December 11, 2006, Elizabeth Roistacher, professor of economics at CUNY Queens College, summarizes the econometric literature that tries to model the relationship between tax levels and economic growth.
Report
City Budget
Managing for Results in New York City Government
A Review of Current Practices
November 30, 2006
In this report, CBC highlights two major weaknesses in the City’s management accountability framework: 1) Money and performance are not connected in the budget; and 2) The City is not focused on achieving results the public desires in every service area. To address these weaknesses, the report makes five recommendations.
Report
City Budget
Giving Taxpayers More Bang for the Buck
Managing for Results in New York City Government
November 01, 2006
In this report summary, CBC highlights two major weaknesses in the City’s management accountability framework: 1) Money and performance are not connected in the budget; and 2) The City is not focused on achieving results the public desires in every service area. To address these weaknesses, the report makes five recommendations.
Report
State Budget
Public Authorities in New York State
April 03, 2006
New York State’s extensive reliance on authorities has given rise to four significant problems: 1) Misuse of the power to incur debt; 2) Insufficient oversight and coordination of project revenue backed and private conduit borrowing; 3) Insufficient reporting to support accountability; and 4) Insufficient independence in governance. Each problem is explained more fully in this report, along with five strategies to address them.
Report
Pensions & Benefits
Old Assumptions, New Realities
The Truth About Wages and Retirement Benefits For Government Employees
March 31, 2006
This report summarizes a more detailed study prepared by CBC, “The Case for Redesigning Retirement Benefits for New York’s Public Employees,” released in 2005. For decades the popular image of government employment has involved the tradeoff of lower wages for job security and relatively generous retirement benefits. That image, while still widespread, is no longer the reality.
Report
State Budget
New York's Endangered Future
Debt Beyond Our Means
September 21, 2005
New York State's debt obligations will require current and future taxpayers to bear a burden that creates a competitive disadvantage with the other states. The core issue is that New York has no effective legal limits on the amount of debt it can assume. CBC advocates for short-run and long-run measures; in the near term, voters should reject bond referendums such as the Transportation Bond Act of 2005 until debt is brought under control, and in the long-run the State must strike a balance between adequate infrastructure investment and a competitive debt burden.
Report
City Budget
The Myth of the "Uncontrollables"
Four Ways New York City Can Take Control of Its Financial Future and Save $2.5 Billion per Year
May 11, 2005
For years New York City mayors have bemoaned the fact that much of the budget is uncontrollable: pension fund contributions, health insurance, Medicaid, and debt service. This report suggests four ways to reduce the “uncontrollables” and save $2.5 billion annually.
Report
Pensions & Benefits
The Case for Redesigning Retirement Benefits for New York's Public Employees
April 29, 2005
This report presents recommendations for redesigning the retirement benefits – health insurance and pension payments – for employees of the City of New York and State of New York. It includes a description of current benefits and a comparison to benefits provided by other large private and public employers.
Report
City Budget
The City's Budget Gap Since 9/11
Factors That Caused It, and Plans to Close It
March 03, 2003
This report identifies the causes of New York City’s unprecedented budget gap for fiscal year 2003-2004 and recommends solutions to close it.
Report
City Budget
10 Myths About Balancing NYC's Budget
And 5 Ways to Lower the Cost of Government by $1B
December 06, 2002
The CBC prepared this document to clear up a series of common misunderstandings about the budget.
Report
City Budget
Preserving Police Services In Tough Fiscal Times
December 03, 2002
Offers ways to preserve police services in the face of New York City’s difficult fiscal situation, including increasing civilianization and reducing overtime.
Report
Public Workforce
The 40-Hour Week
A Proposal To Increase The Productivity of Non-Managerial Civilian Municipal Workers
December 03, 2002
This report explores options for increasing the productivity of non-managerial civilian municipal workers by extending the work week to 40 hours.
Report
City Budget
No Small Change
Opportunities for Streamlining Procurement in New York City
February 10, 2002
This report explores opportunities for streamlining procurement in New York City through emphasis on use of information technology.
Report
Public Workforce
The Citizens' Stakes in Collective Bargaining
Recommendations for the Current Negotiations with the Municipal Employee Unions
December 12, 2000
Report presenting recommendations for contracts to be negotiated with municipal employees that would help reduce the cost of public services, improve the quality of those services, and enhance the income and working conditions of New York's civil servants.