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Blog
Education
Making the Grade
New York State Should Ensure that Massive School Funding Increase Drives Results
September 15, 2021
New York’s schools open this year slated to receive more aid than ever from the State plus $11.4 billion in one-time federal pandemic aid that can be spent over four years.
Blog
City Budget
Five Fast Facts about the NYPD’s Adopted FY 2022 Budget
July 15, 2021
The more than $10 billion in planned annual spending on the NYPD continues to garner significant attention. NYC’s recently adopted FY 2022 Budget has five important takeaways.
Blog
City Budget
Hiring Now, Attrition Later
One-Year Hiring Thaw Leaves Budgeted Staff Reduction For Next Mayor
July 13, 2021
In the Fiscal Year 2022 Adopted Budget, Mayor Bill de Blasio and the City Council temporarily reversed the City’s partial hiring freeze savings plan.
Blog
Public Workforce
We Fund the Police
How Much? What Has Changed?
June 15, 2021
Few fiscal realities are the subject of as much public attention as the size of the NYPD budget.
Blog
Public Workforce
Rising Again
City Reverses Course on Workforce Reduction
June 08, 2021
With annual budget gaps in fiscal years 2023 to 2025 nearing $5 billion (including unspecified labor savings), the City should not increase the size of its workforce.
Blog
State Budget
And State Spending Growth Resumes
Buoyed by Revenue Strength and Federal Aid
March 26, 2021
Governor’s Fiscal Year 2022 Executive Budget proposes to increase State Operating Funds spending an average of 3 percent per year over the next four fiscal years.
Blog
Public Workforce
Early Retirement Incentives
Weighing the Risks for State and Local Governments
February 22, 2021
In light of the City’s fiscal stress and the availability of other options to balance the budget, the City should reduce its workforce through attrition and not pursue the ERI.
Blog
Public Workforce
A Premium Option
School Districts Can Save $850 Million By Following the State’s Lead on Health Insurance
February 22, 2021
In response to New York State’s fiscal year 2022 budget gap, the executive budget calls for a change to the composition of school funding.
Blog
State Budget
NYS Should Not Borrow for Operations Without Spending Restraint, Fiscal Stability Plan, Enhanced Oversight, and Transparency
February 10, 2021
Using long-term debt to fund operations can be a tempting way to close budget gaps, but it should be a last resort.
Blog
Public Workforce
Why Spend to Save?
Early Retirement Incentives Save Less than Attrition
January 28, 2021
ERIs are a more costly workforce reduction strategy than attrition or layoffs.
Blog
State Budget
What to Look for in the NYS FY 2022 Executive Budget
January 15, 2021
Balancing the fiscal year 2022 budget will require some combination of spending cuts, additional revenues, and other actions
Blog
Public Workforce
Benefits Sweetener Scorecard
2016
November 29, 2016
The 2016 Benefit Sweetener Scorecard identifies more than 60 bills active this session. These bills could cost the State and local governments hundreds of millions of dollars per year, and since about half the bills do not specify a fiscal impact, the potential costs could be significantly greater.
Blog
State Budget
6 Things to Look for in New York State’s Mid-Year Budget Update
October 30, 2016
What are the important things to look out for in The Mid-Year Update to the FY 2017 Financial Plan? Coveres revenue projections, economic development, collective bargaining, medicaid, minimum wage, and budget gaps.
Blog
City Budget
The “20-20-20-20” Dilemma: Legacy Costs in the New York City Budget
July 22, 2016
A giant slice of the New York City budget pays for costs that are the legacy of commitments made in the past: debt service, pensions, and retiree health insurance. These legacy costs already exceed 20 percent of the budget and will expand by 20 percent to more than $20 billion in annual spending by fiscal year 2020.
Blog
Housing
Agency Focus: NYC Housing Preservation and Development
July 18, 2016
The New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development is the nation's largest municipal housing agency, and is charged with implementing the largest housing plan in the city's history. How's it doing?
Blog
Pensions & Benefits
Legislature Introduces Even More Benefit Sweeteners
May 18, 2016
The State Legislature has introduced 8 new bills to enhance the benefits of State and local public employees and retirees in the 2016 session.
Blog
Pensions & Benefits
2016 Benefit Sweetener Scorecard
May 02, 2016
The Citizens Budget Commission’s 2016 Benefit Sweetener Scorecard identifies more than 60 such bills active this session. These bills could cost the State and local governments hundreds of millions of dollars per year, and since about half the bills do not specify a fiscal impact, the potential costs could be significantly greater.
Blog
Education
State School Aid Increases: Anything But Progressive
April 14, 2016
Examines state school aid increases under the New York State Enacted Budget for Fiscal Year 2017.
Blog
State Budget
A Step Backward on Medicaid Funding
March 24, 2016
New York’s policy of requiring counties and New York City to pay a sizable share of Medicaid costs is out of step with other states and results in an inequitable distribution of Medicaid costs among New York taxpayers. In 2005 the State capped the growth in the local share of Medicaid, which was a step in the right direction. In 2012 the State began a phased takeover of local share growth—a further improvement. However, the 2017 Executive Budget proposes to reinstitute New York City’s contribution toward growth in Medicaid expenses, which would be a giant step backwards.
Blog
State Budget
Heading the Wrong Way on the Thruway
March 23, 2016
Governor Andrew Cuomo proposal to provide nearly $2.3 billion of State funds from bank settlements to subsidize the New York State Thruway Authority would reverse a long-standing practice of funding the Authority from toll revenue and would put New York taxpayers on a course for financing road and bridge infrastructure that makes little economic or fiscal sense.