Reports

Wall Street’s 2023 first half profits of $13 billion were down 4.3% from the same period last year but tracked the industry’s return to pre-pandemic levels of revenue after record profits in 2020 and 2021. Financial firms’ interest expenses were seven times higher in 2022 than in 2021. Data for 2022 will likely show a decline in the industry’s economic contribution, back to pre-pandemic levels (14.5% in NYC in 2019), reflecting the drop in firms’ profitability.

State collections from all forms of gaming totaled $4.8 billion in State Fiscal Year 2022-2023. With the legalization of mobile sports betting, the New York State Gaming Commission noted a 26% increase in problem gambling-related calls to the Office of Addiction Services and Supports from 2021 to 2022. More attention should be devoted to understanding the implications of mobile sports betting, particularly on young New Yorkers.

In a turnaround from the fiscal crisis it faced a year ago, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) today stands on firmer financial ground, largely because the State budget provided dedicated sources of revenue to close projected budget gaps. With this improved financial picture, the burden is now on the MTA to improve the region’s transit system and win riders back, while keeping its budget balanced.

Cyberattacks are a serious threat to America’s critical infrastructure and have the potential to severely impact our day-to-day lives. According to the FBI, cyberattack complaints in New York State increased 53% between 2016 and 2022, jumping from 16,426 incidents in 2016 to 25,112 in 2022. Estimated losses in New York from cyberattacks in 2022 totaled over $775 million, while losses nationwide totaled $10.3 billion.

Despite significant uncertainty caused by inflation and other factors, State Fiscal Year (SFY) 2022-23 reflected continuing recovery from COVID-19 and economic growth. 

The Annual Comprehensive Financial Report for the New York State and Local Retirement System (the System or NYSLRS) for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2023.

The Annual Comprehensive Financial Report for the State of New York for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2023.

New York City is planning drastic steps to reduce City-funded spending by as much as 15% in response to substantial budget gaps fueled by escalating costs in the years ahead. This report urges the City to provide greater transparency on nondiscretionary costs that it does not have direct control over to help the public, policymakers and its funding partners understand what’s at stake.

This snapshot highlights the results for counties, cities, towns and villages that reported for local fiscal years ending (FYE) in 2022. Overall, the influx of federal pandemic relief aid, as well as robust sales tax revenues, were significant factors in lowering many municipalities’ fiscal stress scores in FYE 2022, especially for non-calendar year entities. Included in the report is an analysis of the 10 years of data collected since the launch of the system, focusing on what has been learned over the past decade. | Fiscal Stress Monitoring System 10 Year Statistics

This report examines comparative data for 10 rural counties in New York to identify challenges faced by these communities and others like them, as well as opportunities. Population, employment, housing and other trends were considered, and these findings can be used as a baseline from which future trends can be measured. The median age of people living in these 10 rural counties increased at nearly twice the rate of the State between 2011 and 2021 while simultaneously population numbers declined. In some areas, accessing employment, health care, food, educational opportunities and services can be difficult.

As required by Section 196 of the Navigation Law, the Comptroller prepares an annual report to the State Legislature and the Governor. The report includes: a description of the costs and damages paid by and recovered for the Fund; the monies spent pursuant to Section 186 (including amounts spent for oil spill prevention, training activities and equipment purchased), and the economic and environmental impacts on the State.

The Corporate Governance Program supports and facilitates the integration of environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors in the Common Retirement Fund’s due diligence process, investment decisions, and performance monitoring program, and provides active stewardship of the Fund’s public equity holdings.

Local sales tax collections in New York State grew by 4% in August compared to the same month in 2022. Overall, local collections totaled $1.78 billion, up $67.9 million compared to the same time last year.

Regional Table [.xlsx]

State Fiscal Year 2022-23 was another productive year for the Office of Unclaimed Funds, returning $406 million to rightful owners.

New York City’s residential real estate market has proven resilient to the COVID-19 pandemic recession, with family homes in the outer boroughs seeing significant growth in value as people sought larger spaces amid limited supply. However, changes to tax bills do not necessarily follow market values due to assessment caps and phase-ins. The complexity of the City’s property tax structure led to significantly larger increases in tax bills for lower-valued properties during the pandemic.

The New York State Legislature amended the State Finance Law in 2015 by adding a new Section 8-c providing for the establishment of a statewide electronic system to help detect and prevent fraud, waste and abuse in government spending and to help avoid improper payment of public funds.

Local sales tax collections in New York State grew by 3% in July compared to the same month in 2022. Overall, local collections totaled $1.82 billion, up $53.3 million compared to the same time last year.

Regional Table [.xlsx]

From 2010 through 2021, the percentage of New Yorkers without health insurance declined every year to 5.2% in 2021, well below the national average of 8.6%. Rates of uninsured New Yorkers are lower than the nation largely due to the State’s higher rates of enrollment in public health insurance programs, which provided coverage to 4 in 10 New Yorkers in 2021. As the State begins reprocessing eligibility determinations for public health insurance, continued transparency and reporting will be essential for understanding the implications for coverage rates and on the State’s budget.

New York City’s finances continue to benefit from better-than-projected revenues and savings generated through initiatives launched in response to its financial challenges. While many of the fiscal challenges facing the City are not in its direct control — including the continued influx of asylum seekers, elevated demand for City programs due to an uneven recovery and the potential for federal and State actions that could further pressure City finances — preparation remains paramount to navigating this uncertainty.

New York State voters approved a constitutional amendment in 2013 which authorized seven commercial casinos. The first four of those opened between 2016 and 2018 in upstate communities and the Request for Applications for the remaining three licenses for downstate communities began in January 2023. This report analyzes the impact the revenue from the four upstate commercial casinos has had on the affected local governments.