The Empire Center, a fiscally conservative think tank, files thousands of so-called FOIL requests annually for public payrolls, pensions and other spending. It said the bills would have provided more teeth to hold state agencies more accountable to taxpayers. Read More
"I want the Legislature to understand that we're serious about reform." So said Governor Andrew Cuomo following his veto of two bills that would have strengthened New York's Freedom of Information Law (FOIL)—helping citizens hold government, at all levels, more accountable. So if you can follow the governor's logic, before he could show us he was "serious about reform," he had to block a pair of reforms he had sitting on his desk. Read More
Ramapo’s 104 police officers were paid an average of $173,361 last year, making them the highest-paid town police in New York, according to the Empire Center’s 2015 “What They Make” report. Read More
Colonie's 106 town police officers were the highest-paid group of local government employees in the Capital Region last year, averaging $94,810, according to the Empire Center’s 2015 “What They Make” report. Read More
A Wayne County doctor was the highest-paid local government employee in the Finger Lakes region last year, according to the Empire Center’s 2015 “What They Make” report. Dr. Harlan Kosson, who county records indicate is paid $130 per hour for psychiatric services, was paid a total of $266,110. Read More
Long Island police officers dominated the list of highest-paid local government employees outside New York City in 2014, according to the Empire Center’s 2015 “What They Make” report. Thirty-one of the 50 highest-paid local government employees were police officers on Long Island, including 24 Nassau County police officers. Read More
New York City's fiscal year 2015 payroll has been added to SeeThroughNY, the Empire Center’s transparency website. Read More
Governor Andrew Cuomo has a chance to make good on a promise to New York taxpayers by signing two bills that would help make information more accessible for public consumption. Read More