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Op Ed
City Budget
Eric Adams’ plan to eliminate NYC’s budget gap is very achievable — and desperately needed
New York Post
September 22, 2022
The best way to protect New York’s future is to stabilize the budget and prioritize and better manage critical services.
Blog
Capital Spending
Mind the Gap
Funding Repair and Maintenance of New York City Infrastructure
July 26, 2010
Past neglect has created a need for nearly $5.6 billion in repair of existing facilities in New York City in order to bring them to satisfactory condition, known as a "state of good repair." Yet the City's capital budget allocates only about half, with the gap especially large for streets, hospitals, and parks.
Blog
Transportation
Watch the (MTA Budget) Gap!
Operating Budget Is Worse Than It Appears
August 07, 2019
The MTA's 2020 Preliminary Budget and four-year financial plan reveals an alarming fiscal outlook.
Blog
Economic Development
NY’s Economic Development Programs Costliest in the Nation
April 07, 2017
It's official: NY's economic development programs cost more than in any other state.
Blog
State Budget
New York’s $1 Billion Brownfield Cleanup Program
March 17, 2015
Overview of Brownfield Cleanup Program
Letter
Economic Development
Veto Ten Bills That Expand Economic Development Programs
A Letter to the Governor
August 14, 2018
The Governor should veto ten bills that would expand the State’s economic development programs. Three of the bills would expand or enrich existing programs, six bills would create a new targeted program, and one bill would create a new broad program.
Letter
Economic Development
CBC Urges the State Legislature to Let the Empire Zones Program Sunset
April 12, 2010
This letter was written to urge the State legislature to allow the seriously flawed Empire Zones program to sunset as of June 30, 2010, as established by law, and to enact the Excelsior program as proposed by the Governor.
Blog
Economic Development
End the Empire Zones Program and Adopt Excelsior
March 24, 2010
Explains why Empire Zones were ineffective and argues in favor of the improved features of Excelsior tax credits.
Blog
City Budget
City's Fourth Extension of the School Bus Grant Program Should Be Rejected
March 08, 2018
The City Council should reject this program, and all new school bus contracts should be awarded with an eye toward realizing savings in the costs of pupil transportation, now more than $1.2 billion.
Op Ed
State Budget
State budget gaps are coming. The time to address them is now.
Albany Times Union
October 20, 2023
With temporary funding boosts petering out, New York must curtail spending growth to head off painful cuts later.
Letter
Economic Development
Governor Cuomo Should Veto Bills Expanding Economic Development Programs
November 20, 2017
CBC recommends Governor Cuomo veto three bills that would expand an economic development program.
Letter
State Budget
Groups Urge State to Release a Specific Plan for Closing FY 2020-2021 Budget Gap
September 23, 2020
We write to urge you to release a specific and detailed plan for closing New York State’s fiscal year 2020-2021 $9 billion budget gap.
Blog
City Budget
The Citywide Savings Program: Bolder Steps Needed to Make Government More Efficient
May 24, 2016
Mayor Bill de Blasio's latest Citywide Savings Program proposes multiyear savings of $5.4 billion compared to just $2.9 billion proposed in last year’s Executive Budget. The $5.4 billion represents 1.7 percent of city-funded spending over the financial plan period; this is in the range of savings in Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s plans for each of the last four years of his administration. While this may seem like a bold stride, the new CSP still falls short in the nature of its savings proposals.
Blog
City Budget
The Citywide Savings Program: OMB is Leading and Agencies Should Follow
May 31, 2017
NYC agencies should develop meaningful efforts to streamline operations and improve productivity.
Blog
Economic Development
Complement, Don't Duplicate
Targeting NYC Small Business Recovery Programs
June 21, 2021
It is critically important for the City to identify potential gaps first by determining which businesses are eligible for which existing programs and whether those programs reasonably meet their needs.
Blog
Economic Development
Learning from Past Mistakes
Examining Changes to the Excelsior Jobs Program
October 20, 2015
In 2008, CBC called for the elimination of the Empire Zones jobs program amid concerns it wasted public resources. In 2010, New York State replaced Empire Zones with the streamlined Excelsior Jobs Program. Excelsior was designed to avoid the errors of Empire Zones but until recently it has been difficult to assess to what degree it achieves its objectives.
Letter
Education
CBC Encourages Governor Cuomo to Approve Bill on Preschool Special Education Program Providers
July 02, 2013
In a letter to Governor Andrew Cuomo, the CBC urges approval of A7302-A/S5568-A, which will improve the oversight of preschool special education program providers.
Blog
Pensions & Benefits
Simple But Significant
Savings from the Elimination of the Medicare Part B Reimbursement
December 19, 2010
As New York’s elected officials consider options for balancing budgets in the face of record deficits, they should eliminate a public employee fringe benefit rarely offered anywhere else: reimbursement for Medicare Part B premiums.
Blog
City Budget
What to Look for in the NYC November Modification
November 14, 2022
The modification is likely to be more substantial due to Mayor Eric Adams’ call for a Program to Eliminate the Gap, a rocky economy, and future gaps that could approach $10 billion.
Op Ed
State Budget
Repeal the Film Tax Credit, But Don't Expect Savings Just Yet
Even if this wasteful program is killed in 2018, its expenditures will continue for years
December 13, 2017
The Citizens Budget Commission is a long-time critic of the New York State Film Tax Credit program and supports its repeal. However, due to some unusual provisions of state tax law, repeal of the credit will not yield immediate state savings.