Western New York property owners pay the state’s highest median effective tax rate, according to newly released data from the Empire Center. The internet-based tool—BenchmarkingNY’s Property Taxes by Location—allows taxpayers to compute and compare total school district, municipal and county tax burdens in thousands of communities across the state. Read More
Press Releases
The potential economic gains from natural gas exploration in the Marcellus Shale region in upstate New York are highlighted in a new study documenting the impact of hydrofracking on jobs and income growth in Pennsylvania, where nearly 5,000 wells have been hydrofractured since 2002. Read More
The Empire Center for Public Policy will ask the state’s highest court to hear an appeal of a court ruling today that would allow New York State’s public pension funds to keep secret the names of pension recipients, the Center’s director, Timothy Hoefer, today announced. Read More
The complete 2012 New York state government payroll is now posted on SeeThroughNY.net, the Empire Center’s government transparency website. The database includes the names, titles, base pay rates, and total pay of 291,364 individuals who worked in the state’s executive, legislative, or judicial branches at any point in calendar year 2012. Read More
A new Internet application giving New Yorkers ability to instantly access, browse through and download financial details of New York’s state budget was unveiled today by the Empire Center. Read More
Updated payroll files for 62,287 state and local public authority employees in New York have been posted on SeeThroughNY, the Empire Center’s government transparency website for taxpayers. Read More
Local governments and school districts throughout New York State should adopt long-term financial planning as a core element of their budgeting practices, according to a report issued today by the Empire Center for Public Policy. Read More
New York State can save money and improve health outcomes in its $54 billion Medicaid program by giving patients more incentive to “take ownership” of their own healthcare, according to a new report released today by the Empire Center for Public Policy. Read More
A searchable online database of earnings for 366,640 employees of New York State school districts outside New York City was posted today at SeeThroughNY.net, the transparency website sponsored by the Empire Center for Public Policy. Read More
New York’s counties, municipalities and school districts can eventually eliminate their long-term liabilities for retiree health benefits by encouraging the creation of employee-run Retirement Medical Trusts (RMTs), according to the Empire Center for Public Policy. Read More
New York’s public-sector employees have been promised $250 billion in post-retirement health benefits that the state and its local governments have set aside no money to pay for, according to updated figures released today by the Empire Center for Public Policy. These obligations have increased by $45 billion since the Empire Center first reported on them in 2010. Read More
Ninety-five out of 933 state Police and Fire Retirement System (PFRS) members who retired in 2011 qualified for a pension of more than $100,000, according to data posted at SeeThroughNY.net, the Empire Center’s government transparency website. Read More