Tim Hoefer

President & CEO

Tim Hoefer is president and CEO of the Empire Center for Public Policy. He joined the Center in March 2008, and previously served as the Center’s director of operations and communications manager.

Hoefer’s work focuses on transparency, government reform and accountability. He has written several papers on those subjects, testified before local and statewide panels and authored various op-eds. His numerous interviews have been featured in print, radio and broadcast media throughout the state. Since its launch in July 2008, Hoefer has been the principal on the Center’s government transparency project, SeeThroughNY.net.

Before joining the Center, Hoefer worked in communications and public affairs with the New York State Senate and Assembly. He also has worked as a consultant for, and on, political campaigns, at the local, state and federal level.

Born and raised in Saratoga, he is a native New Yorker. Hoefer has a bachelor’s degree in government & politics from George Mason University and earned his master’s degree in public policy from New England College.

Latest Work

Nothing to be proud of

The has just released a new index that takes a comprehensive approach to measuring just how powerful government unions are in each of the 50 states. Which state had the lowest ranking, denoting the most powerful Read More

City pension data available — again

On Wednesday, in an apparent move to appease open government advocates and curious taxpayers, City Comptroller John Liu announced that the New York City Employees' Retirement System (NYCERS) Board of Trustees had adopted three resolutions that would “provide the public with unprecedented access to information concerning the pension system.” Read More

Revote? Yup!

The Beekmantown Central School District made when preparing its voting machines prior to their school budget vote back in May.  At least one of the three machines understated -- by $2 million -- the cost of the proposed budget (and a second proposi Read More

Speaking of pension reform

What would "truly transformational" public pension reform look like in New York?  E.J. McMahon answers the question in in today's New York Post. The key, E.J. argues, is to replace the traditional defined-benefit (DB) pension with a def Read More

NYSUT is in the house

Taxpayers from around the state held a small but boisterous rally in Albany today to show support for Governor Cuomo’s proposed 2% property tax cap, which has been passed in the state Senate but is stalled in the Assembly. Read More

Thanks Nisky!

We’ve been calling on the state Legislature to implement a policy of “proactive disclosure” of public information – and the Niskayuna Central School District has just helped bolster our case. Recently, a local taxpayer questioned the size of increases in administrative salaries. She based her analysis on... Read More

Public Payroll Watch

Governor Cuomo proposed a cap on Superintendent salaries earlier this week, but as it relates to bringing school district spending down, it’s the equivalent of trying to chop down a tree with nail clippers. Read More

Public Payroll Watch

Add the Bethlehem Central School District to the small, but growing, list of public entities taking action to bring spending in line with economic reality.   Officials of the Albany area school district that they had implemented a voluntary sala Read More

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