In a letter to the state legislature the CBC made recommendations for the fiscal year 2013-14 New York State budget. There are two general points that are made:
Overall, there is much to like in the prosed budget; it continues progress in reducing the long-standing structural deficit by restraining expenditure growth and avoiding additional tax burdens.
“Fine tuning” the proposed budget by rejecting or revising some misguided initiatives would enhance its effectiveness in using New Yorkers’ tax dollars wisely.
I am writing to share the views of the Citizens Budget Commission on Governor Andrew Cuomo’s proposal to allow local governments to opt into a “fixed rate” contribution plan to fund their public employee pension obligations. We believe this proposal would endanger the future financial viability of the pension plans and recommend you reject it.
The letter urges Governor Cuomo to veto A.10722A/S.7722A, a bill that would allow for consideration of a child’s “home environment and family background” in special education placement determinations. This provision has the potential to create significant costs for school districts that are already under severe fiscal pressure.
CBC sent a letter to Governor Cuomo urging him to veto A6309/S4067, the bill that would allow school districts to borrow an amount equal to 125% of their required 2011 pension contributions and to repay them over 15 years.
CBC sent a letter of commendation to the State Legislators who voted against school district borrowing for pension contributions (A6309/S4067). See the list of legislators after the jump.
CBC recommends to the governor that A9885/S6784, which mandates that New York City firefighters be provided an additional 80 hours of training on the Buildings and Fire Codes, be vetoed because it is an arbitrary addition to existing preparation that is unnecessary and financially burdensome.
The fiscal realities of the time have not deterred the Legislature from advancing dozens of bills enhancing benefits for State and local employees and retirees. The CBC has been tracking the progress of 25 of these bills on its annual Sweetener Scorecard.
The Charter Revision Commission's comprehensive assessment of the structure of city government has prompted a debate about the desirability of providing formula budgets, often referred to as "independent budgets", to particular agencies and offices.
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