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Report
Housing
NYCHA Capital
What You Need to Know
December 20, 2017
Part 1 of our analysis reviews NYCHA's capital needs and spending patterns over the last 5 years.
Op Ed
State Budget
Repeal the Film Tax Credit, But Don't Expect Savings Just Yet
Even if this wasteful program is killed in 2018, its expenditures will continue for years
December 13, 2017
The Citizens Budget Commission is a long-time critic of the New York State Film Tax Credit program and supports its repeal. However, due to some unusual provisions of state tax law, repeal of the credit will not yield immediate state savings.
Report
Pensions & Benefits
2017 Benefit Sweetener Scorecard
December 07, 2017
The State Legislature passed 26 bills. Click to learn more.
Report
Pensions & Benefits
The Price of Promises Made
What New York City Should Do About Its $95 Billion OPEB Debt
October 25, 2017
CBC presents options for tackling this looming $95 billion liability threatening New York City's fiscal health.
Report
Capital Spending
Bridging the Financial Gap
Funding the Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge
October 12, 2017
Tolls for the new Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge have not been released yet, but based on construction costs, CBC estimates it will be approximately $10 for cars, double the current rate.
Report
Health Care
Medicaid Supplemental Payments
The Alphabet Soup of Programs Sustaining Ailing Hospitals Faces Risks and Needs Reform
August 31, 2017
$5 billion in annual supplemental payments are important to the finances of many hospitals. Federal policy will shrink these payments; the impact will be most severe for NYC municipal hospitals.
Report
Transportation
Bumpy Road
Transportation Capital Planning in New York State
August 21, 2017
What the State should do to ensure its transportation investment is well-targeted and strategic.
Report
Public Workforce
Overboard on OT
Reductions in Uniformed Overtime Needed
August 17, 2017
NYC blows its budget on overtime annually, and the costs have grown tremendously year over year. To "cap" overtime effectively, labor and management should work collaboratively.
Report
Capital Spending
What New Yorkers Can and Cannot Learn from the Ten-Year Capital Strategy
May 23, 2017
The Ten-Year Capital Strategy has shortcomings that undermine the public’s ability to hold leaders accountable as good stewards of the City’s infrastructure and capital dollars.
Report
Capital Spending
Slow Build
Creating a More Cost-Efficient Capital Construction Process for Cultural Organizations and Libraries in New York City
April 10, 2017
How long does it take to renovate a public library or expand museum space? CBC & CUF investigate.
Op Ed
Education
Fix NY's broken formula for distributing school aid
March 22, 2017
How much more funding should New York state provide to Syracuse public schools? A report by the Citizens Budget Commission, for which I was the primary author, says that an increase of $83 million is needed for the City of Syracuse school district.
Op Ed
Education
How Much More State Education Funding Is Needed?
March 08, 2017
With reforms to the way funding is distributed, the State can fund a "sound, basic education" with $569 million more in annual funding.
Report
Capital Spending
Three Ways to Improve the Port Authority's Capital Plan
February 16, 2017
Despite an increase in transparency and accountability, the updated plan remains deficient in three important ways.
Report
Public Workforce
Governor Cuomo's Labor Contracts
Only Getting Part of the Job Done
January 06, 2017
In collective bargaining, the Governor must balance paying workers fairly with keeping tax levels reasonable. More needs to be done to control rising fringe benefits costs.
Report
Education
Educational Efficiencies
Savings Within the Educational System
November 29, 2004
CBC recommends reforms to improve efficiencies in education spending to offset the additional spending required under the Campaign for Fiscal Equity settlement. Recommendations include: 1) Reallocating state education aid away from wealthy districts and to more needy districts; 2) Relaxing limits on the time teachers spend in the classroom; 3) Consolidating small school districts; and 4) placing a cap on administrative expenses.
Report
Education
Finding Space For A Sound Basic Education
November 29, 2004
CBC recommends two alternative proposals to meet the Campaign for Fiscal Equity capital requirements for providing adequate classroom space. The two options are redistricting schools and operating schools on year-round schedules.
Report
Education
Gambling Revenues
November 29, 2004
CBC assesses the potential to increase gambling revenue in order to meet the requirements of the Campaign for Fiscal Equity settlement and finds that aggressive pursuit of gambling revenues has the potential to generate $2 and $3 billion annually, but the State must consider its long-run sustainability, disproportionate impact on lower-income taxpayers, and social costs.
Report
Education
Lessons From Other States
November 29, 2004
CBC conducted case studies of seven states (Kentucky, New Hampshire, Vermont, New Jersey, Ohio, Texas, and Michigan) that have faced legal challenges to their public school financing systems. The analysis considers the following questions: 1) How long did it take and why? 2) How much did it cost, and where did the money come from? 3) What were the results in terms of finance outcomes? 4) What new strings where put on the money? 5) What were the results in terms of educational outcomes?
Report
Education
Promoting Accountability in New York State
November 29, 2004
CBC calls for a new accountability system for education spending to be developed in conjunction with the Campaign for Fiscal Equity settlement to ensure that new money, as well as old money, is spent effectively.
Report
Education
Tax Revenue Options
November 28, 2004
CBC reviews revenue options to best pay for the Campaign for Fiscal Equity initiatives. CBC considers broadening the base of two taxes, sales and corporate income; raising rates on two existing statewide taxes, personal income and sales; and instituting a new statewide property tax.