Join the Empire Center for a morning of briefings and conversations about New York and its local governments.
Hear from experts about important trends and key policies affecting our towns, cities, villages and counties.
Itinerary:
- New York State Economy & Finances Unraveled with E.J. McMahon (Empire Center)
- NY Property Taxes: Navigating Albany’s Challenges with Ken Girardin (Empire Center)
- Local Government Practitioner Panel with Ari Brown (NYS Assembly), Phil Barrett (Clifton Park), and Mark Grimm (Albany County)
Empire Center’s Policy Academy
A look at the key policy areas that impact local governments.
Wednesday, August 23rd, 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Breakfast will begin at 8:30 AM
About the Author
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ThinkNY: Medicaid Overdose
Join us for our upcoming ThinkNY webinar, where we’ll explore a groundbreaking analysis of New York’s Medicaid program and its growing challenges.
Empire Center Senior Fellow for Health Policy Bill Hammond will walk us through his Read More
ThinkNY Issues on Appeal; Mail-in Voting and Prop 1
Join us for our latest ThinkNY webinar, where we’ll delve into two election-related cases on appeal Read More
ThinkNY: Proposition 1
Join us for our latest ThinkNY webinar, where we’ll delve into Proposition 1, a proposed amendment to the equal protection clause of the state Constitution.
Cam Macdonald will discuss its disputed status on the ballot and how it got here. We’ll als Read More
ThinkNY: Healthcare Taxes
We're excited to welcome back Bill Hammond, Senior Fellow for Health Policy at the Empire Center. With almost three decades of experience in journalism and a deep understanding of New York's healthcare industry, Hammond brings unparalleled insights.
Jo Read More
ThinkNY: Taylor Law
Join us Friday at 11am for our next ThinkNY webinar. This month, we'll dive into the Taylor Law, New York's public-sector collective bargaining law.
The Taylor Law plays a huge role in how state agencies, local governments and school districts operat Read More
Green Guardrails Webinar
Join us for a webinar on Empire Center's latest report, ""
Report author Ken Girardin examines the implementation of New York's Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, the sweeping 2019 law that allows state agencies to regulate nearly every p Read More
ThinkNY: Medicaid
Medicaid is a taxpayer-funded safety-net health plan that covers a third of the state's population, and it's one of the costliest and fastest-growing programs in the state budget.
This webinar will give an overview of what Medicaid does, why it's so ex Read More
ThinkNY: NYS Budget Process
For this monthly installment, E.J. McMahon provides insight into the NYS budget process and how we should expect the following months to unfold.
ThinkNY serves as a platform for everyday New Yorkers and key decision-makers to come together for thoughtf Read More
Policy Academy
Join the Empire Center for a morning of briefings and conversations about New York and its local governments.
Hear from experts about important trends and key policies affecting our towns, cities, villages and counties.
Please register for the in-person seminar below.
Empire Center’s Policy Academy
A look at the key policy areas that impact local governments.
Wednesday, August 23rd, 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Breakfast will begin at 8:30 AM
About the Author
You may also like
Switching to Electric Home Heating Could Add Thousands to Energy Bills
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: ALBANY, N.Y. that heating an average home from October to March would cost approximately $790 with natural gas, compared with $1,100 with a heat pump and $3,300 with electr Read More
Hochul’s Energy Infrastructure Plan Gets the Diagnosis Right but Offers No Prescription
Editor’s note: Roger Caiazza is an adjunct fellow at the Empire Center. He has a long and deep private industry background in environmental regulatory analysis and compliance. His frequently updated personal blog on New York State environmental poli Read More
Poll: 64% of New Yorkers Back Eliminating the State Income Tax; 67% Say State Taxes Aren’t Delivering
Dissatisfaction spans party and regional lines as broad majorities rally behind sweeping tax reform
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: ALBANY, N.Y. - New Yorkers are delivering a blunt assessment of the state’s tax system: 67% say they ar Read More
New Yorkers Want to Eliminate the Income Tax
Summary
New Yorkers have reached a clear verdict: The state’s tax system is not delivering. A full 67% say they are not getting good value for their tax dollars, while 64% support eliminating the state income tax. Read More
SUNY Research Foundation Payroll Tops $400 Million
Payroll records for 8,401 employees of the Research Foundation for the State University of New York (RF SUNY) for fiscal year 2026 are , the Empire Center's government transparency website.
The Research Foundation is a private, nonprofit educational co Read More
Newly Retired NYC Firefighters Average Over $177k In Pensions
New York City firefighters and fire officers retiring last year after full careers were entitled to average annual pension benefits of $177,016, according to , the Empire Center's government transparency website.
Among the 499 new retirees with at leas Read More
New York Annual Household Electricity Costs Rise $270
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ALBANY, N.Y. — New York’s average residential electricity price reached 29.90 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh) in July 2026, the fifth highest in the nation and 63.3 percent Read More
Energy Data Bulletin September 2026
September 2026
Summary and Insights
Electricity. In June 2026, New York had the nation's fifth-highest residential electricity price at 29.49 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh), 60.8 percent above the U.S. average. Prices d Read More