IBO's mission-to provide non-partisan budgetary, economic, and policy analysis for the residents of New York City and their elected officials-begins with our three charter-mandated reports.

By February 1st of each year, IBO issues an independent projection of revenues and expenditures for the financial plan period assuming existing spending policies and tax laws remain unchanged. The report's primary purpose is to serve as an objective, long-term planning tool for city officials responsible for adopting the annual budget.

Those projections provide a starting point for consideration of the mayor's budgetary proposals and a benchmark against which to measure the costs of policy initiatives. IBO is the only entity in city government, other than the Office of the Mayor, that is required to issue a revenue projection.

By March 15th of each year, IBO provides decision-makers and the public with an extensive analysis of the mayor's preliminary budget. With final spending and revenue decisions (for inclusion in the mayor's executive budget) being reached during March and April, it is vital that understandable and objective analysis be available to the public and officials responsible for crafting and adopting the city's budget.

By May 15th of each year, IBO issues an analysis of the executive budget to serve as an objective reference document for elected officials, the media, and the public. The report contains an update of IBO's economic and revenue forecast along with a discussion and re-pricing of the mayor's tax proposals and an analysis of the mayor's spending proposals.

These reports, however, are not the only means by which IBO assists in the budget process. When the City Council passed a non-negotiated budget in June 1998, IBO published an analysis of the adopted budget highlighting the differences between the mayor's executive budget and the budget adopted by the Council. IBO also provides elected officials with briefings on the budget and responds to many budget inquiries from the staffs of elected officials, community groups, and the media. IBO also frequently comments in the media on budget developments.