Reports

Nearly one year ago, New York City adopted a balanced budget for FY 2012, but projected a budget gap of $4.6 billion for FY 2013, and even larger gaps for subsequent years. On May 3, 2012, the Mayor issued his executive budget for FY 2013 and an associated four-year financial plan (the “May Plan”). The City now projects a modest surplus for FY 2012, a balanced budget for FY 2013, and out-year budget gaps that average $3.3 billion.

New York is embarked on a new era of State and local fiscal policy. The State is working to resolve longstanding budgetary problems through ambitious policy changes, the full impacts of which will become clear only over time.

In 2011-12, vendors were paid interest totaling $1,925,986, representing an increase of $526,531, or more than 37 percent, above the prior year. 

New York added more jobs in the past two years than previously reported, according to revised data from the New York State Department of Labor.

In 2010, the 114 active IDAs located throughout the State supported 4,444 projects and provided total tax exemptions of nearly $1.3 billion. 

Cost containment actions in the State Fiscal Year (SFY) 2011-12 Enacted Budget, including spending caps for State-funded Medicaid and school aid, have greatly reduced the structural deficit that has long plagued the State.

This report briefly describes that the average allowable levy growth is 3 percent, rather than the 2 percent voters may be expecting.
All tax cap elements, as reported by school districts to the Office of the State Comptroller, are provided in the accompanying tables. 

Tax Cap Elements by County [xls] | Tax Cap Elements by Region [xls] | Tax Cap Elements by School [xls]

This is the eighth in a series of reports on the progress of the capital security program of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA).

In June 2011, New York City projected a balanced budget for FY 2012 but a large budget gap of $4.6 billion in FY 2013, and even larger gaps in subsequent years. On February 2, 2012, the City issued a revised financial plan (the “February Plan”). The City has closed the FY 2013 budget gap and narrowed the outyear gaps to $3 billion in FY 2014 and about $3.5 billion in subsequent years. Most of the improvement comes from freeing up reserves (nearly $5 billion), proceeds from the anticipated sale of taxi medallions ($1 billion) and savings from agency actions.

This report briefly describes the impact of the housing market crisis on New York State. The report also highlights the results of a survey by OSC on whether local officials are utilizing the 2009 law requiring foreclosing lenders to maintain vacant or abandoned properties. 

The Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) is among the nation’s largest state‐ sponsored, need‐based grant programs for student aid.

An era of tight budgets has sparked renewed interest in reducing government costs and identifying ways for State agencies to function more cost effectively. To help identify opportunities to achieve more efficient State operations, the Office of the State Comptroller has prepared this statistical overview of overtime use by State agencies over the past five years.

Cash bonuses paid to New York City securities industry employees are forecast to decline by 14 percent to $19.7 billion during this year’s bonus season.

Local sales tax collections grew by $650 million, or 5 percent, from 2010 to 2011, compared to a growth rate of 9.9 percent between 2009 and 2010. However, nearly a third of the 2010 growth was attributable to a sales tax rate increase in New York City. Without this, growth would have been about 7 percent.

 County-by-county report - pdf

As Chief Fiscal Officer for the State of New York, the Comptroller annually examines the Executive Budget proposal and the Enacted Budget, as well as issues monthly reports on the State’s cash position. This report provides an analysis of the State Fiscal Year (SFY) 2012-13 Executive Budget.

In the past two years, New York State has regained 46 percent of the jobs lost during the recession, but not all parts of the State have benefited equally.

Local Finance Law requires the State Comptroller to report on private bond sales conducted by local government entities from the effective date of the Act through June 30, 2011. Because these private sales may be economically beneficial to local governments, OSC recommends that the expiration provision on the statutory private sale cap of $5 million be repealed.

On November 18, 2011, New York City issued a revised financial plan covering fiscal years 2012 through 2015 (the “November Plan”). Mostly as a result of unplanned spending in the uniformed agencies, the out-year budget gaps have grown by half a billion dollars to $5 billion in FY 2013 and about $5.5 billion in both FY 2014 and FY 2015.

The Office of the State Comptroller maintains extensive data on receipts and disbursements, which reflect the flow of revenues and expenditures through the State’s Central Accounting System (CAS).

New York City’s tradition as a melting pot of cultures is vividly on display in the Queens neighborhoods of Corona, Elmhurst, East Elmhurst and Jackson Heights. These neighborhoods, which are located in northwestern Queens, have the highest concentration of immigrants in New York City.