Reports

The Comprehensive Annual Financial Report for the State of New York for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2012.

This report describes the fiscal oversight OSC provides to local governments faced with the serious fiscal challenges of budgeting with fewer resources to fund rising expenditures, all while staying within the recently enacted property tax cap.

One year ago, New York City projected a budget gap of $4.6 billion for FY 2013 and out-year gaps that reached $4.9 billion. Since then, the City has successfully closed the FY 2013 budget gap and narrowed the FY 2014 budget gap to $2.5 billion without raising taxes or cutting basic services. Most of the improvement, however, has not come from higher revenue forecasts, but from drawing down reserves and other nonrecurring resources.

School districts can use EBALR moneys to make cash payments to employees for accrued leave time due to them when they leave school district employment. OSC certified the excess EBALR funds that school districts had reserved, but could not legally use, so district officials could put these moneys to productive use to pay for operating costs. 

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 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.

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.

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.

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).

This Report on Estimated Receipts and Disbursements for State Fiscal Year (SFY) 2011-12 through SFY 2013-14, issued pursuant to Chapter 1 of the Laws of 2007, is intended to facilitate continuing discussion of the State’s economic condition and the State Budget.

New York State’s population increased by 2.1 percent between 2000 and 2010 – the fifth slowest rate of growth among all states nationwide. Gains or losses in population cause a shift in the local tax base, drive adjustments in State and federal revenue allocations, and influence the demand for municipal services and infrastructure.

The Comprehensive Annual Financial Report for the New York State and Local Retirement System (the System or NYSLRS) for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2011.

New York State has shown resilience in challenging times. While New Yorkers have been hit hard by the Great Recession, our past investments in infrastructure, facilities for culture, education and recreation, a well-educated workforce, innovative businesses, progressive human services organizations, and a world-leading financial sector provide a sound foundation for a return to prosperity.