Reports

Technology is playing a growing role in personal and business activities. While there is a broad range of firms that are engaged in technology-related activities, at the heart of this trend are high-tech companies.

The Office of the State Comptroller (OSC) continues its efforts to promote sustainable government practices.

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.

Asthma is a major public health problem in New York State and nationally.

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The average bonus paid to securities industry employees in New York City grew by 15 percent to $164,530 in 2013, which is the largest average bonus since the 2008 financial crisis, and the third highest on record.

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 percentage of New York State households with housing costs above the affordability threshold, as defined by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), rose for both homeowners and renters from 2000 to 2012, according to U.S. Census Bureau data.

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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.

Sales tax is a major revenue source for New York City and the 57 counties. The strongest growth for 2013 was in the Long Island region Some of the rapid sales tax growth seen there and in New York City was due to the rebuilding efforts after Hurricane Sandy.

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 report released by the Office of the State Comptroller on the State’s Dedicated Highway and Bridge Trust Fund.

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.

More than a decade ago, New York became the fourth state in the nation to extend in-state college tuition rates to undocumented immigrant students. Today, approximately 8,300 such students attend public institutions of higher education throughout New York.

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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.

The Office of the State Comptroller received and acted on 22,794 contract transactions in the 2013 calendar year. The average time from submission to final sign-off was 11.2 days. Over three-quarters of these transactions (79 percent) representing over 80 percent of the total contract dollar values were reviewed by OSC in 15 days or less, and an additional 15.8 percent were processed in 16-30 days.

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.

School districts are facing a set of unique fiscal challenges that have left many tightening their belts even as the economic recovery has begun to improve New York State finances.