Reports

Like many other cities, Glens Falls has struggled in recent years to maintain services, avoid large tax increases and balance budgets. The City’s high debt service costs for infrastructure expenditures as well as its subsidization of the Civic Center continue to be a burden. By 2012, Glens Falls had drawn down its available general fund balance to $0.6 million, or 3.7 of percent of expenditures.

New York State ended State Fiscal Year (SFY) 2013-14 in its strongest financial condition since the Great Recession. Indications of the State’s improved fiscal footing included a $175 million deposit in the Rainy Day Fund, the first since 2008, and General Fund reserves of $2.2 billion, effectively the highest level since the end of SFY 2007-08.

On May 21, 2014, the City of New York revised its financial plan (the “May Plan”) to update its revenue and expenditure forecasts for fiscal years 2014 through 2018. The May Plan reflects the Mayor’s executive budget for FY 2015 and the recently ratified labor agreement with the United Federation of Teachers (UFT).

This report is the ninth in a series by the Office of the State Comptroller on the progress of the capital security program of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA).

Albany had no available general fund balance between 2002 and 2006. Subsequently, the City’s available balance grew to a high of $19.8 million in 2008 before declining in the wake of the 2007-09 recession. Standard and Poor’s Rating Services rates the City of Albany’s general obligation debt at AA-, at the low end of its second-highest rating category. The City has formally applied to the Governor’s Financial Restructuring Board for Local Governments for assistance and has been accepted by the Board.

Between 2007 and 2012, the City’s available fund balance increased by 82 percent, from $3.8 million to $7.0 million in 2012. In 2012, Moody’s warned that rising employee benefit costs could put upward pressure on expenditures. Also, the State cap on growth in the property tax levy could affect the City’s ability to continue to balance its budget by increasing the property tax.

Often, the required reports that industrial development agencies (IDAs) submit to OSC and other agencies are incomplete and inconsistent. Recent audits by OSC have found a lack of documented cost-benefit analysis, lack of recapture clauses in many project agreements and insufficient tracking of projects and their incentives.

The City of Plattsburgh has strong financial operations marked by operating surpluses in 2010 and 2011, modestly sized but growing and diverse tax base and healthy reserve levels. However, Plattsburgh’s high proportion of tax-exempt properties, weak socioeconomic measures due to a large student population and high debt burden are possible threats to the City’s financial condition.

Although U.S. and New York State economic growth softened in State Fiscal Year (SFY) 2013-14, tax collections showed signs of real improvement.

The State ended SFY 2013-14 in its most favorable financial position in years. The General Fund’s end-of-year balance, more than $2.2 billion, was $432 million over February projections.

On February 12, 2014, the City of New York revised its four-year financial plan (the “February Plan”) to update its revenue and expenditure forecasts, and to begin reflecting the priorities of the new mayoral administration. Since the beginning of the fiscal year, the City has raised its tax revenue forecast by more than $5 billion through FY 2018 because the economy is outperforming the City’s expectations.

Investment in capital assets – roads, bridges, water and sewer systems, school buildings and other infrastructure – is essential to New York’s economy and its quality of life.

The State Fiscal Year (SFY) 2014-15 Executive Budget holds the promise that New York State can achieve ongoing budgetary balance after decades of nearly continuous structural gaps.

This report summarizes findings from the Fiscal Stress Monitoring System using 2013 data for villages with fiscal years ending in February through May. Statewide, 3 percent of villages are experiencing fiscal stress. Downstate villages are more likely than upstate villages to experience fiscal stress. The report notes that some of the environmental factors thought to drive fiscal stress differ between downstate and upstate villages.

This is the third annual report by the Office of the State Comptroller on overtime use by New York State agencies. It covers overtime patterns over the past seven years.

All Governmental Funds tax collections through the third quarter of State Fiscal Year (SFY) 2013-14 were $534 million lower than projected in the most recent update to the SFY 2013-14 Enacted Budget Financial Plan released in November 2013.

This report summarizes findings from the first set of fiscal stress scores to be released for school districts. Statewide, 12.9 percent of school districts are in some level of fiscal stress. Within the report, common fiscal and environmental factors are highlighted along with differences for school districts of varying need/resource capacity.

Like many other "Rust Belt" cities, Buffalo suffered a decline as transportation patterns shifted and manufacturing facilities shut down. However, Buffalo still benefits from its location on the Canadian border and the City, with State and private sector support, has recently made significant efforts to promote new development.

Tax “check-off” programs provide a means for taxpayers to make voluntary contributions for various causes as part of their federal and State income tax filings simply by marking an appropriate box on their tax forms.

Recent audits of dual employment in six State entities found that managers and supervisors failed to monitor employee time and attendance. At every agency where auditors found employees who violated time and attendance policies, there were also supervisors and managers who didn’t know where their employees were or who allowed employees to misrepresent the hours worked.