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Testimony
Housing
Testimony on NYCHA’s Capital Spending of City Funds
Submitted to the City Council Committee on Public Housing and Subcommittee on Capital Budget
November 18, 2021
I will focus on two topics: first, how additional City capital funding and new policy approaches are helping to address NYCHA’s capital needs, and second, the process and procurement reforms needed to ensure that NYCHA spends all—not just City—capital dollars effectively and efficiently.
Testimony
City Budget
Testimony on Oversight of Changes to Municipal Retirees’ Health Care Plan
Testimony before the City Council Committee on Civil Service and Labor
October 28, 2021
This agreement starts right and then veers off course to miss the finish line because the resulting savings do not flow to the City’s bottom line.
Special Feature
Public Workforce
NYC Employee Headcount
October 18, 2021
New York City's headcount declined by 3.4 percent (11,175 positions) from fiscal year 2020 to fiscal year 2021, but the Mayor's Adopted Budget for authorized a substantial increase for fiscal year 2022
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.
Op Ed
Public Workforce
Early Retirement Incentives for City Workers Is Foolhardy and Expensive
Crain’s New York Business
April 15, 2021
New York state has just authorized New York City to offer most civilian employees an incentive to retire early. The city should flatly reject this opportunity.
Testimony
City Budget
Testimony on Comprehensive Long-Term Planning (Intro. 2186)
Submitted to the New York City Council
February 23, 2021
Intro. 2186 proposes a new comprehensive planning framework that would reform the City’s land use and capital planning process.
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
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.
Testimony
Housing
Testimony on the NYCHA Physical Needs Assessment
Submitted to the New York City Council Committee on Public Housing
November 15, 2018
NYCHA has an astounding $32 billion in capital needs, a nearly fivefold increase over the last decade. Today nearly all its properties require substantial rehabilitation.
Blog
City Budget
Reduction in Uniformed Overtime Is Still Needed
July 12, 2018
Without workrule changes the City’s uniformed overtime caps are unlikely to be successful. In fact, several agencis have already exceeded their FY 2018 caps.
Blog
Public Workforce
The Cost of a Growing City Workforce
Ballooning Budgets and Long-term Liabilities
July 10, 2018
NYC’s municipal workforce is projected to reach a record 331,520 employees by the end of fiscal year 2019. Headcount expansion has a significant impact on the City’s budget and long-term financial position.
Op Ed
Pensions & Benefits
Pension sweeteners a bitter prospect for New York City
New York Daily News
June 15, 2018
The City Council adopted a budget for fiscal year 2019 that totals almost $90 billion. Almost $10 billion will be devoted to pensions for public employees, and the amount is projected to grow. And yet, for some, this is not enough.
Op Ed
Transportation
Four years after 'Bridgegate,' Port's fiefdoms are coming back
Crain's New York Business
May 30, 2018
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is a crucial agency, but it is badly governed and in need of reform.
Op Ed
City Budget
How New York City Can Afford Fair Fares
Slowing the growth of the city’s workforce would provide the needed savings
April 16, 2018
The Fair Fares proposal can be accommodated within the city budget by exercising greater restraint in hiring and more aggressively tackling inefficiencies in its operations.
Testimony
Capital Spending
Testimony on the City of New York’s Capital Commitment Plan
Submitted to the NYC Council Committee on Finance and Subcommittee on Capital Budget
March 20, 2018
NYC's Capital Commitment Plan is unrealistic in its ambition, obscures capital priorities, and discourages accountability for completing capital projects efficiently.
Blog
Capital Spending
Rightsizing and Right Timing New York City’s Capital Plan
March 14, 2018
Despite a pledge to collaborate with the City Council on a realistic Capital Commitment Plan, the City's overly ambitious proposal is neither realistic nor transparent.