

Government transparency is the key to holding elected officials and agencies accountable to taxpayers. For this reason, the Empire Center annually files hundreds of Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) requests and posts the results publicly on its SeeThroughNY.net database. Over the years, numerous agencies have obstructed access to public records, unnecessarily redacting information or simply ignoring FOIL requests.
This new timeline traces five of the legal battles the Empire Center has fought since 2009 against public agencies that refuse to allow taxpayers to see where their money is going.
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Educators Receiving $200k+ Doubles in Five Years
The number of school district employees receiving a total compensation of more than $200,000 have more than doubled since 2019, according to posted today at , the Empire Center’s transparency website. The public educator pay data are based on Fiscal Ye Read More

Teacher Pensions Added to SeeThroughNY Include 25 Over $300K
New York’s two teacher pension systems last year had 25 retirees eligible to collect pensions of more than $300,000, according to data posted today on SeeThroughNY, the Empire Center’s government transparency website. Read More

More NY Pensions Hit $200K
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

NYC Fire Pensions Hit New High
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 Empire Read More

$5.5 Billion NYCERS Pension Payments Include $70 Million in Back Pay
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

New York City Teachers’ Retirement System Adds More $200K Retirees
The number of retired New York City educators who received pensions over $200,000 continues to grow, reaching 117 last year. Read More

Six-figure NYSLRS pensions quadruple in ten years
The number of New York State and Local Retirement System (NYSLRS) retirees eligible for six-figure pensions quadrupled over the last seven years. Read More

Average Pay Spiked at Port Authority in 2021
Average pay for Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) employees increased nearly 10 percent last year, to $123,000. Read More
Educators Receiving $200k+ Doubles in Five Years
- April 15, 2025
Teacher Pensions Added to SeeThroughNY Include 25 Over $300K
- March 28, 2024
More NY Pensions Hit $200K
- January 29, 2024
NYC Fire Pensions Hit New High
- October 6, 2023
$5.5 Billion NYCERS Pension Payments Include $70 Million in Back Pay
- September 12, 2023
Six-figure NYSLRS pensions quadruple in ten years
- July 29, 2022
Average Pay Spiked at Port Authority in 2021
- April 29, 2022