Reports

The Comprehensive Annual Financial Report for the State of New York for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2015.

While trends in both new foreclosure filings and the total number of pending foreclosure cases indicate that the problem is far from resolved, there are small signs of improvement.

Six years after the end of the Great Recession, economic growth continues across the United States and in New York. The State has enjoyed four consecutive calendar years of comparatively steady job gains after suffering a recessionary decline in 2009 and only slight growth in 2010.

On June 26, 2015, the City of New York submitted to the New York State Financial Control Board a four-year financial plan (the “June Plan”) covering fiscal years 2016 through 2019. The June Plan projects a balanced budget for FY 2016 and manageable out-year budget gaps. In addition, the City has been increasing its reserves, which could cushion the impact of an adverse budgetary development.

Based on Consumer Price Index data, the downward trend in inflation means that local governments operating on a December 31 fiscal year end will see the inflation factor decrease to 0.73 percent, causing a significant reduction over prior years in the allowable levy growth factor, an important component of their tax cap calculation. OSC estimates that these calendar year local governments will have roughly $135.1 million less than they would have had if the factor was at 2 percent.

In the first half of 2015, total local sales tax collections in New York State grew by only about half of the 3.0 percent growth seen in all of 2014 and nearly two thirds less than the 4.2 percent average annual growth experienced over the previous 15 years. Sales tax revenue declined in half of the regions in the State, with the sharpest decline being in the North Country, which saw a 2.5 percent drop.

County-by-county data - pdf 

Long Island utility customers have long paid some of the highest electricity prices in the country. Residents and businesses in the region have raised concerns about such costs, as well as management practices of the Long Island Power Authority (LIPA).

On May 7, 2015, the City of New York submitted to the New York State Financial Control Board a revised financial plan (the “May Plan”) covering fiscal years 2015 through 2019. Despite the cost of new labor agreements and large increases in agency and capital spending, the May Plan projects a surplus of $3 billion for FY 2015, a balanced budget for FY 2016 and manageable out-year budget gaps.

Washington Heights and Inwood extend from 155th Street in Manhattan to the northern tip of the borough. The area has a rich history, and immigrants account for nearly half of the population.

Spanish

In 2015, the number of counties exceeding the tax cap decreased substantially and only six counties exceeded the cap—a decrease of 54 percent from 2014. Among the counties that stayed within the tax levy limit in 2015, many have levied right up to the limit. Of these 51 counties, 23 levied taxes that amounted to 99 percent or more of their allowable tax levy limit. This may be due in part to the newly enacted Property Tax Freeze Credit.

County Tax Cap Data as of April 30, 2015 - Excel

The New York State Minority- and Women-Owned Business Enterprise (MWBE) Asset Management and Financial Institution Strategy (Chapter 171, Laws of 2010) was enacted to codify and replicate best practices for providing MWBEs (or firms) that are asset managers, investment banks and financial and professional service firms with the opportunity to offer services to fiduciary-controlled entities established by New York State law.

Fiscal Stress Monitoring System (FSMS) has five categories of indicators: fund balance, liquidity, short-term debt, operating deficits, and fixed costs. These indicators contribute to a local government’s final classification of Significant Stress, Moderate Stress, Susceptible to Stress or No Designation.

Although the overall results have improved, State agencies continue to have difficulty meeting the established time frames. In 2014, State agencies reported that 77 percent of grant contracts with NFPs were not approved by the start or renewal date. This compares with 87 percent as reported in 2013.

In the 2014-2015 fiscal year, State agencies paid interest totaling $1,525,112 representing a decrease of $189,713 from the prior year.

IDAs are important for economic development in the State, but local officials need to improve their scrutiny over projects so that taxpayers know if their community is receiving promised jobs and economic benefits. Recent audits have found deficiencies in IDA processes for approving and monitoring projects, as well as for recouping benefits from projects that have failed to meet their goals.

New York spent $143.9 billion in State Fiscal Year (SFY) 2014-15 on an All Governmental Funds (All Funds) basis, an increase of $6.4 billion or 4.6 percent from SFY 2013-14.

The Office of the State Comptroller received 23,591 contract transactions valued at $44.4 billion, both new contracts and contract amendments, in the 2014 calendar year. The average time from submission to final sign-off was 11.6 days. Over three-quarters of these transactions (78.5 percent), representing over 75 percent of the aggregate contract dollar value, were reviewed by OSC in 15 days or less. An additional 15.6 percent were processed in 16 to 30 days.

In the sixth year of national economic recovery, New York State’s short-term financial condition continues to improve.

Medicaid provides health insurance coverage to more than 6 million New Yorkers and is projected to cost a total of $62 billion from federal, State and local sources in State Fiscal Year 2016.

The State has approximately 639 local authorities operating outside of New York City. These authorities generally operate without many of the constraints and controls over day-to-day operations required of municipal governments. OSC audits have helped to shine a light on questionable practices from board member compensation to the selection and results of economic development projects. OSC continues to advocate for express audit authority over LDCs and other not-for-profit local authorities, better reporting requirements for all local authorities and legislation to achieve more transparent results.