Score one for the watchdogs. The fiscal-watchdog group the Empire Center had sued the MTA after it refused to produce its 2014 payroll data for months despite a FOIL request. But the MTA recently caved and has now settled out of court, agreeing to not only open its books but pay its foe’s $2,860 in legal fees. Read More
Tag: Transparency
Over the past three years, the state budget has set aside about $1.1 billion into a program to fund local projects across the state. But critics say the program is lacking oversight. Read More
The MTA has now paid the Empire Center's expenses for a successful lawsuit compelling timely release of the agency's payroll data. Read More
More than 2,900 state and local government retirees are receiving pensions larger than $100,000, according to pension data added today to SeeThroughNY.net, the Empire Center’s newly relaunched transparency website. Read More
A longtime Saratoga County assistant district attorney who became a central figure in the corruption case against former Halfmoon Supervisor Melinda Wormuth on Tuesday night became the "full-time" town attorney, a job that will pay her $150,000 year. Read More
The New York State Assembly spent $325,404 in taxpayer funds to purchase, maintain and fuel vehicles for use by members and staff during its most recent six-month reporting period, according to expenditure data added today to SeeThroughNY.net, the Empire Center’s transparency website. Read More
The state spent $25 million for a shopping mall in Staten Island and $100,000 for a skateboard park in the city of Albany. They were two of the more than 500 pet projects funded with a secret slush fund, according to the Empire Center. The watchdog group said it's like the Oprah syndrome where everyone got a car on the show. Read More
The pork may be returning to the state budget. State lawmakers and Gov. Andrew Cuomo quietly have stashed away $1.2 billion for pet projects, and they are starting to spend it: about $187 million for 588 projects across New York, a report from the Empire Center, a watchdog group in Albany found. Read More