Blog

In a case with potentially far-reaching implications for local taxpayers across New York, a labor arbitrator has ruled that the city of White Plains, in Westchester County, has the right to require police retirees to begin contributing to their healt Read More

Governors often veto legislation on narrow technical grounds, effectively leaving the door ajar for sponsors of bad bills to try again with a somewhat different approach. But that's not the case with Gov. Andrew Cuomo's just-released Veto Message 23 Read More

The governor has rejected that would undermine the intent of New York's newly enacted property tax cap by allowing school districts to issue 15-year bonds to cover a portion of their rising teacher pension costs. The Executive Chamber's news rele Read More

Yesterday, the New York Times accused the Republican-controlled state Senate of "" for failing to pass legislation setting up a state health insurance exchange in the waning days of the last legislative session. If the legislature doesn't pass a bill Read More

To follow-up on : According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average weekly paycheck for a New York City worker in the private sector last year was $1,060, or $55,120. The MTA's $72,000 figure is about 31 percent higher. Read More

The Empire Center for New York State Policy has just released its 2010 payroll data for the state-run Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA). Results? The average MTA worker made more than $72,000 in salary and/or wages, overtime, and othe Read More

At least one leading bond counsel firm is issuing supplemental opinions to the effect that New York State's cap on local property taxes may violate the state Constitution's debt impairment provision.  The lawyers' reasoning is unpersuasive, serving Read More

The Citizens Budget Commission has offered its take on New York City's budget for fiscal year 2012, which started last Friday. Read More

The Municipal Market Advisors research shop says today that in Minnesota and Colorado upholding states' rights to reduce cost-of-living pension increases for current retirees could affect municipal credit quality. Read More

If you haven't read much about the details of the "mandate relief" provisions approved by the Legislature as the session ended last week, there's a good reason for it: virtually none of the relief priorities cited by the state's major local government groups were included. Read More

... 'cuz they're doing Mayor Bloomberg's job as well as their own (and the mayor gets paid $1 a year). Some background: Michael Mulgrew and Lillian Roberts head up New York City's United Federation of Teachers and the city's largest civilian union Read More

Saturday's New York Times that Governor Andrew Cuomo is "likely" to veto a bill allowing school districts to issue 15-year bonds to cover the same rising teacher pension costs that have been partially excluded from a newly enacted property Read More