Property Tax Caps: Background and Trends, July 2008
This report examines some of the various options proposed to reduce local property tax growth.
Reports
Machine Name
reports
The Credit Crunch: Implications for Local Government Short–Term Debt, November 2008
The current global financial market crisis could have serious implications for New York’s local governments if access to the credit markets remains constrained. While many long-term implications for local government finances may occur as a result of the broader deterioration in the economy, the credit situation has produced a more immediate impact on liquidity – the ability of local governments to finance their short-term capital operations and cash flow needs. Local governments who are dependent on short-term debt for these purposes could face continued risks.
Meltdown: The Housing Crisis and its Impact on New York State's Local Governments, November 2008
Compared with other states, particularly those in the South and West, significantly fewer subprime loans were issued in New York, although there are areas within the State where subprime mortgages were utilized more frequently. However, the number of home foreclosures in New York is increasing as more homeowners are faced with mortgages of all types that they can no longer afford.
Annual Performance Report on New York State's Industrial Development Agencies - Fiscal Year Ending 2007, February 2009
In 2007, nearly $61 billion in total project amounts were reported for all Industrial Development Agencies (IDAs) statewide.
Cost–Saving and Cost–Containment Strategies for New York State’s Local Governments, June 2009
This report provides a number of ideas and explains efforts undertaken by various municipal officials or identified through audits conducted by OSC that are applicable to most local governments, and that address costs that are under local control.
Sales Tax Declines Through July 2009, August 2009
Local sales tax collections for all of New York State, including New York City, declined by 8.9 percent, or $640 million, over the first seven months of 2009 compared to the same period the year before.
Cracks in the Foundation: Local Government Infrastructure and Capital Planning Needs, August 2009
This report analyzes historical trends in local capital spending and the current condition of our local infrastructure. It suggests some important steps that the State and local governments need to take to improve capital planning within New York. Finally, it suggests some policy options that could help sustain investment in the State’s infrastructure and encourage more coordinated, regional approaches to investment.
“Cash for Clunkers” Helps, but New York Local Sales Tax Collections Still Declining, November 2009
Overall, county sales tax collections (excluding New York City) continued to fall during the third quarter of 2009 (July-September), declining by 7.9 percent, although collections at New York’s automobile dealerships actually increased compared to the same quarter in 2008, suggesting that the Car Allowance Rebate System (also called “Cash for Clunkers”) moderated the decline.
School Districts and the Stimulus “Cliff”, December 2009
School districts across New York state, including New York City, face a potential funding gap of at least $2 billion when the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding runs out in 2011-12 unless federal aid is renewed or replaced by State aid.
View a district-by-district breakdown of ARRA funding - .xls
Chokepoints: New York’s Deteriorating Bridges, January 2010
The recent closure of the Lake Champlain Bridge in Essex County (also known as the Crown Point Bridge) highlights the importance of New York's bridges to the regional economies in which they are located. Currently, there are 93 bridges in use in New York State with a safety rating at or below that given to the Lake Champlain Bridge prior to its closure.