The number of retirees eligible for $200,000+ pensions from the New York State and Local Retirement System (NYSLRS) reached 54 last year, according to new data posted on SeeThroughNY, the Empire Center’s government transparency website. Read More
Press Releases
In response to Governor Hochul’s FY25 state budget presentation, Empire Center President & CEO Tim Hoefer issued the following reaction: "Governor Hochul is telling it like it is: New York’s and spending are out of line wi Read More
The data, covering all school districts outside NYC, show 75,280 school district employees were paid at least $100,000 last year, compared to 58,631 in 2017-18. Read More
Payroll data detailing $6 billion in annual pay for more than 86,000 public employees at 383 agencies including the Thruway Authority, New York City Health + Hospitals and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) were added today to SeeThroughNY, the Empire Center’s government transparency website. Read More
New York state lawmakers and Governor Hochul since January have steered nearly $200 million in borrowed state funds outside the regular budget process to hundreds of pet projects, according to new data posted on SeeThroughNY, the Empire Center’s government transparency website. Read More
The 10 highest-paid employees of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) last year were police officers who collected more than $370,000 each, according to data posted today on SeeThroughNY, the Empire Center’s government transparency website. Read More
Most school board members in NY's largest districts were elected with support from the teachers' union, a new report finds. Read More
New York’s plan to steer homeowners and landlords toward electric heat could backfire due to costs and practical concerns, according to a new study from the Empire Center for Public Policy. Read More
School districts across the state last year used lower-turnout special elections to win voter approval for nearly $2 billion in construction projects and other major purchases instead of presenting them alongside their budget proposals in May, according to a new study by the Empire Center for Public Policy in Albany. Read More
State regulators should drop plans to mandate a $10.18 "dispensing fee" for each prescription filled by a pharmacy, the Empire Center's Bill Hammond said in comments submitted Monday to the Department of Financial Services. Read More
New York City firefighters and fire officers retiring last year after full careers were entitled to , up 11 percent from the prior year, according to new data added to SeeThroughNY, the Em Read More
The pension plan covering most New York city government agencies, including the City’s subway system, had 47 members with pension payments of at least $200,00 last year, 11 more than in 2021, according to Read More