The Agenda for Reform
Reforming New York State government is not a choice, but a necessity. In an increasingly competitive world, New York must operate its government as efficiently, effectively and responsively as possible to give our citizens and businesses the best chance to succeed.
There are cynics who say New York is so dysfunctional today that it can't change. However, reform efforts already have produced important results, and that means that reform is possible in New York.
Issues that seemed to be debated only outside of Albany have been put on the table for discussion this legislative session. Along with his Executive Budget proposal, which was presented with more public information than ever before, the Governor advanced legislation to improve the State's budget practices, strengthen controls on debt and make government procurements more efficient and fair.
While we don't agree on all of the specifics of these proposals, the fact that they were presented with the budget means that these crucial reform issues will be part of the debate. That creates an opportunity for achieving substantial reforms in each area. All those in favor of reform must use this opportunity to ensure that the legislation that is passed is as strong as possible.
Good government and citizens' organizations have played a leading role in supporting these reforms and putting other vital issues on the front burner, including campaign finance, ethics and redistricting reform. These reforms are critical for ensuring that those elected to office are responsive to the voters and will work to maintain reforms once they are instituted and I fully support them.
This information presented here is a guide to the issues that, from our perspective, must continue to be at the forefront of government reform discussions. It concludes with a listing of 75 steps that should be taken to improve our government. For the most part, the ideas have been previously advanced by my office after research into the various issues and consultation with other individuals or groups that have made the case for reform and proposed solutions. Some of the ideas have come from other sources; they are included because they have merit and should be included in any serious consideration of reforms.
Neither the list nor our work is complete. For our part the Office of the State Comptroller will continue to identify problems and offer remedies. We will continue to work with those more familiar with these issues than we are and we will continue to advocate for meaningful reforms.
- Legislation was passed to place restrictions on lobbying intended to influence the award of government contracts and to extend ethics rules so that leaving public service does not protect an official from being held accountable for wrongdoing while working in government.
- The New York State Commission on Public Authority Reform, chaired by corporate governance expert Ira Millstein, was formed and initiated training for authority board members.
- New regulations were established by my office to dramatically reform the budget practices of 215 State public authorities by requiring more accurate financial reporting, four-year financial plans and compliance with GAAP rules.
- The Public Authorities Accountability Act was passed to impose rules on the disposition of property, require independent audits, improve corporate governance and increase reporting by all public authorities.
- A five-point plan was signed into law to improve accountability for school district funding and the actions of district officials, and my Office was provided the resources to conduct audits of every district in New York State.
- Both houses of the Legislature changed their rules of operation and important budget deliberations previously described as "three men in a room" have been subject to more sunshine. The commitment to strong internal controls at State agencies, to help ensure processes are efficient and programs are effective, is being revitalized. Spending for important health care initiatives has been moved on budget and accountability standards for companies that receive benefits in return for a promise to strengthen the economy have been improved.