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Blog
Capital Spending
Don’t Pass the Capital Pork
June 07, 2019
Like most other spending decisions, capital spending is best decided during budget negotiations.
Blog
Transportation
Watch the (MTA Budget) Gap!
Operating Budget Is Worse Than It Appears
August 07, 2019
The MTA's 2020 Preliminary Budget and four-year financial plan reveals an alarming fiscal outlook.
Blog
Public Workforce
The High Cost of the MTA’s New Police Officers
September 25, 2019
The MTA has committed to hiring 500 new police officers to address quality of life concerns, but it is necessary to understand this strategy comes at a cost.
Blog
Taxes
Follow the Money
The MTA’s New Revenues
April 05, 2019
The NYS Adopted FY 2020 Budget directs three revenue sources to support the MTA. This blog clarifies what the revenue streams are and how they will flow to the lockbox.
Report
Public Workforce
Reform at the Bargaining Table
Labor’s Participation Needed to Improve the MTA’s Financial Outlook
April 30, 2019
The MTA's fiscal outlook is dire, and improving it requires a multipronged approach. Paramount in the effort is slowing the growth of labor costs.
Blog
City Budget
Less Spending, More Saving
Benchmarks to Assess the NYC Financial Plan
November 13, 2019
Four things the upcoming budget should do to put the city on better financial footing.
Op Ed
Transportation
Want better service?
Raise the fare: It would be a mistake to link price increases to improved performance
January 24, 2019
Exasperated straphangers are expressing frustration with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s plans to raise fares when, they say, service shows little sign of improvement.
Blog
City Budget
Sound Strategy, Sound Future
Recommended Approach for the City’s Preliminary FY 2020 Budget
February 01, 2019
A thriving economy has allowed the City to increase spending by $20 billion since fiscal year 2014. The City should undertake a necessary course correction with this four-part strategy:
Report
Transportation
Swimming in Subsidies
The High Cost of NYC Ferry
March 28, 2019
NYC Ferry serves more than 4 million passengers at a high level of operating subsidy: $10.73 per ride, 10 times that of the New York City Transit.
Report
Education
Cut Costs, Not Ribbons
Alternatives That Reduce School Crowding
July 09, 2019
Administrative solutions can reduce school crowding and limit the need to build expensive new school buildings.
Blog
City Budget
PEGging It Right
Guidelines for the PEG Process
March 05, 2019
For the first time since taking office, Mayor Bill de Blasio has announced plans to implement a Program to Eliminate the Gap (PEG), which requires agencies to generate savings through expense reductions or revenue enhancements. The de Blasio administration previously eschewed PEGs in favor of Citywide Savings Plans (CSPs); in contrast to the PEG, agency participation in the CSP was voluntary. Pursuing a PEG presents both a challenge and an opportunity. This blog proposes three guidelines for the process: 1) identify significantly more than $750 million in savings, 2) encourage recurring savings through efficiency, and 3) follow agencies’ leads.
Blog
Transportation
Principles for Congestion Pricing
February 13, 2019
Motorists should pay a greater share of the costs of mass transit to offset the negative impacts of auto use. CBC recommends five principles to guide the crafting of a congestion pricing program
Blog
Taxes
Pied-à-Terre Tax
Appealing but Problematic
March 13, 2019
The pied-à-terre tax is appealing politically because it is levied on wealthy people with means to pay and nonresidents who do not vote. Nevertheless, it is problematic for several reasons.
Report
Transportation
Building a Sound Fiscal Future for New York's Highway and Mass Transit Systems
March 19, 2019
Options for raising sufficient funds for roads and transit statewide include increasing tolls and fees, enacting congestion pricing, and implementing a vehicle-miles traveled (VMT) fee.
Report
Energy & Environment
Getting Greener
Cost-Effective Options for Achieving New York State's Greenhouse Gas Goals
December 09, 2019
While GHG emissions have risen in other large states like Texas and Florida, New York has been a leader in reducing GHG emissions; the continued focus on getting greener through further emissions reductions is necessary and important.
Report
City Budget
To Weather a Storm
Create an NYC Rainy Day Fund
April 18, 2019
A well-funded and structured Rainy Day Fund (RDF) would help New York City weather future recessions.
Report
Economic Development
Opportunity Zones In New York State and City
August 20, 2019
The Opportunity Zone program may amount to significant losses for both NYS and NYC before rising substantially in 2029.
Report
City Budget
9 Things New Yorkers Should Know About How New York City Buys Stuff
February 21, 2019
CBC's new report outlines nine critical things New Yorkers should know about procurement and makes four recommendations that could generate savings for the City.
Blog
Taxes
Personal Income Tax Revenues in New York State and City
August 13, 2019
PIT revenues are a significant - and volatile - part of State and City budgets.
Blog
City Budget
NYC Revenues in a Recession
Quantifying the Potential Shortfall
February 26, 2019
The potential shortfall from a recession comparable to the last two recessions could be substantial: between $15 billion and $20 billion below projections over three years.