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Budget Process, Labor & Other Issues

Budget Process

Food for Thought: Recent Trends in City Council-funded Allocations for Food for New Yorkers
November 21, 2023

Food for Thought: Recent Trends in City Council-funded Allocations for Food for New Yorkers
November 21, 2023

Budget Building Blocks: Units of Appropriation
November 20, 2023

IBO's Testimony on Performance Indicators in the Mayor's Management Report
November 1, 2023

Another Covid-19 Cost? As the Stock Market Tumbles the City’s Pension Costs May Climb
PDF________HTML
March 30, 2020

Three City Pension Funds Are Ready to Divest
From Fossil Fuel Stocks. How Much Do They Own?

July 24, 2019

Comments to the Charter Revision Commission
On a Number of Budget Related Proposals

March 7, 2019

Considering Changes to the Mayor's Preliminary Management Report
April 4, 2016; Testimony, 2 pages    PDF

Reducing City Spending on Software
February 23, 2016; Testimony, 2 pages    PDF

Including Resident Surveys in the Mayor's Management Report
December 14, 2015; Testimony, 2 pages    PDF

Evaluating the Structure and Content of the Mayor’s Management Report
December 10, 2014; Testimony, 2 pages    PDF

Is There Another Way to Tally City Budget Surpluses?
September 16, 2014; New York City by the Numbers

Understanding New York City's Budget: A Guide
June, 2013;
Guide, 16 pages

Understanding the Budget: A Guide to the Capital Budget
June, 2013;
Budget Guide, 16 pages

The Last (Budget) Dance?
March 1, 2013;
IBO Weblog Post

Some Community Board Budget Priorities Face Budget Axe, Again
June 4, 2010; IBO Weblog Post

Testimony to the New York State Senate Select Committee on Budget and Tax Reform
December 17, 2009; Testimony, 3 pages

Understanding New York City's Budget: A Guide
October 28, 2009; Guide, 16 pages

About Those Services You Prioritized
March 19, 2009; IBO Weblog Post

Dawn of a New Era: New York City Fiscal Policy After(?) the Financial Emergency Act
November 8, 2007;  Background Paper, 4 pages

The Charter Revision Commission's Preliminary Recommendations on Fiscal Stability
June 27, 2005;  Testimony, 2 pages

Charter Revision Commission on the Expiration of the Financial Emergency Act
March 23, 2005;  Testimony, 2 pages

Intro 584 and the Collection and Use of Payments in Lieu of Taxes
March 22, 2005;  Testimony, 2 pages

Proposed Charter Revisions to Eliminate the Preliminary Mayor's Management Report
October 16, 2003;  Testimony, 2 pages

Principles for MTA Budget and Financial Reporting
July 28, 2003;  Letter, 12 pages

Understanding New York City's Budget: A Guide to the Capital Budget
November 2002;  16 pages

The Road to Adopting New York City's Budget
June 2004;  Illustrated Guide, 2 pages

Confronting the Budget Shortfall: How Bad Are the Gaps?
January 7, 2002;  Newsfax Article

Understanding New York City's Budget: A Guide
November 28, 2001;  Report, 16 pages

Summary of the New York City Financial Plan
December 2000;  Report, 4 pages

Proposed Changes to New York City's Charter
October 20, 1999;

Uncertainty Continues Over Implementation of City's 1999 Budget
July 27, 1998;  Newsfax Article

IBO Projects $843 Million Surplus Under 1999 Adopted Budget
July 27, 1998;  Newsfax Article

Revenue And Expense Projections: Fiscal Year 1999 And Beyond
July 15, 1998;  Testimony

Analysis of New York City's Adopted Budget for 1999;
June 16 1998;  Fiscal Brief

Legal and Practical Implications of the City Council Formulating and Adopting the City Budget for 1999;
June 1998;  Fiscal Brief

City Council Approves Major Mid-Year Modification To Fiscal Year 1998 Budget
December 17, 1997;  Newsfax Article

Adopted 1998 Expense Budget
June 16, 1997;  Newsfax Article

The Independent Budget Office:
Enhancing Official and Public Understanding of the Budget

May 28, 1996;  Publication

Covid-19 & New York City

The Paycheck Protection Program in New York City:
Jobs Saved, at What Cost?

October 12, 2023

On Track for Recovery? An Examination of the
MTA's Pandemic Ridership & User Revenue

November 22, 2022

Testimony on Oversight of NYC Department
of Education's Spending of Federal Covid-19 Relief Funds

November 16, 2022

Testimony on The City's Allocation of
Federal Covid-19 Stimulus Funds

November 7, 2022

How Much in Federal Covid-19 Relief Funds Did New York City Charter Schools Receive?
August 2, 2022

How Has Public School Enrollment Changed Two Years Into the Covid-19 Pandemic?
July 20, 2022

NYC Medicaid Enrollment and Claims Grow During Pandemic, But Feds Shoulder Cost Increase (For Now)
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March 18, 2022

Federal Covid Relief Spending Dashboard
Updated March 15, 2022

How Does New York City’s Recovery From Covid-Related Job Losses Compare With The National Recovery?

October 26, 2021

Federal Assistance: How The Mayor Plans to
Use Billions in Covid-Related Aid For Schools
PDF_____HTML

September 22, 2021

Did the Pandemic Affect the Number of Housing-Related One-Time Emergency Grants Made by the City?
July 21, 2021

Sick Leave Usage: The Effect of Covid on the Municipal Workforce During the Pandemic’s Peak
PDF__HTML
May 11, 2021

Housing Authority Budget Faces Challenges As City Looks to a Post-Covid Future
April 6, 2021

New York City Delivers on Covid Emergency Food Budget

March 17, 2021


Have School Attendance Rates This Year Varied by “Hardest-hit” Covid-19 Neighborhoods and Grade Levels?
March 15, 2021

While Tax Collections Are Stronger Than Expected, Revenue Forecast for 2021 Still Less Than Last Year
March 2, 2021

Outlook for the City’s Economy: A Slow and Fragile Recovery

March 1, 2021


Homeless Services Sees Shift in Shelter Populations and Influx of FEMA Funding
February 22, 2021

FEMA Increase to Covid Reimbursement Means Over $1 Billion More for the City

February 16, 2021


What Impact Has the Pandemic Had on
Job Placements for Cash-Assistance Recipients?

January 28, 2021

On the Way Back? Subway Ridership and
Fare Revenue in the Wake of the Pandemic

December 15, 2020

Reopening in a Pandemic: Estimating the Additional Costs for NYC Public Schools

September 17, 2020


Square Footage: What Is the Capacity of NYC Schools When Maintaining Social Distancing Requirements?
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September 2, 2020


NYC Covid-19 Spending Tracker

Federal Fix? Aid From Washington May
Keep Health + Hospitals Afloat, for Now
PDF________HTML
August 17, 2020

There Are More Municipal Workers Than Ever.
But Is Headcount Up at All NYC Agencies?

August 13, 2020

Did the Number of Active Construction Sites
Increase Even as the City Was on Pause?

August 11, 2020

Food to Go: Did NYC Open Grab & Go Sites in Areas With the Greatest Need?
PDF______HTML
July 28, 2020

When the City Went on Pause Did
Parking Violations Plummet?

July 23, 2020

Which Neighborhoods Have More Nearby Park Space Per Capita?
July 15, 2020

Have NYC’s Cash Assistance Rolls Grown Following The Pandemic-Related Rise in Unemployment?
July 9, 2020

Trouble Ahead, Trouble Behind: The Impact of Declining Dedicated Tax Revenue on MTA Finances
PDF______HTML
July 8, 2020

How Much Might Youth and Their Families Lose in Wages If The Summer Youth Employment Program Is Canceled?
June 11, 2020

Testimony: Deferring Property Tax Payments for Some Property Owners
June 10, 2020

Testimony: Tracking Covid-Related Spending and Contracting
June 10, 2020

Covid-19 Spurred Discharges From the City’s Jails, But Were Some Groups of People in Custody More Likely to Be Released Than Others?
May 21, 2020

How Much “CARE” for NYC? An Estimate of Federal Coronavirus Emergency Relief Act Funding to the City Budget
PDF________HTML

May 11, 2020


Covid-19's Toll on the Local Economy: A Preliminary Estimate of Job Losses & Tax Revenue Declines
PDF________HTML
April 15, 2020

As Ridership Plummets, How Far Might NYC Transit Revenue Fall?
April 5, 2020

Another Covid-19 Cost? As the Stock Market Tumbles the City’s Pension Costs May Climb
PDF________HTML
March 30, 2020

Covid-19 and Reducing the Jail Population: Who Might Be Released Under Board of Correction Recommendations?
March 20, 2020

Labor

Reviewing the Fiscal Impact of Intro 1099-2023
November 24, 2023

Employees of Human Service Nonprofits Under Contract With New York City Set to Receive Less Than Half the Raises of NYC Employees Over 5 Years
November 13, 2023

Union Contracts to Increase Personnel Costs, Partially Offset by Low Headcount
April 10, 2023

Testimony on Changes to Health Insurance Coverage for Retired City Workers
January 9, 2023

A Full Accounting: An Analysis of the Mayor’s Proposed Headcount Reduction
March 2, 2022

Testimony Regarding Changes to
Municipal Retirees' Healthcare Plan

October 28, 2021

Police Overtime Spending Is Down This Year. How Far Down, and Is It Expected to Stay Below Past Years?
June 18, 2021

New York City Spending on Translation Services
June 3, 2021

Sick Leave Usage: The Effect of Covid on the Municipal Workforce During the Pandemic’s Peak
PDF__HTML
May 11, 2021

NYC’s Full-Time Workforce Declined by More Than 8,000 in 2020. Will It Continue to Fall?
April 12, 2021

Proposed Pension Changes Would Bring Near-Term Savings But Higher Future Costs
March 30, 2021

Just a Touch of Grey? How Many Police Officers and Firefighters Began Receiving Pension Benefits at a Relatively Young Age?
November 10, 2020

There Are More Municipal Workers Than Ever.
But Is Headcount Up at All NYC Agencies?

August 13, 2020

Workforce Savings: The Mayor’s Budget Plan Includes Trimming the Number of City Workers
June 29, 2020

Overtime Costs for City’s Ambulance Staff Up 40 Percent Since 2017
March 3, 2020

Change in Calculation of Education Retirement Benefit Will Save $125 Million Annually
March 2, 2020

Has the Number of Dues Paying City Union
Members Changed Since the Janus Ruling?

January 14, 2019

Testimony for the City Council Oversight Hearing
On the Health Care Savings Agreement

November 29, 2018

The Parental Leave Deals: Taking a Closer
Look at the Cost and Savings Assumptions
PDF_______HTML
August 16, 2018

Where Did the City’s Nearly $13 Billion
in Pension Payments Go in 2017?

April 23, 2018

Mayor’s Budget Adds $50 Million a Year to Meet Cost of
Supplemental Retirement Benefit for Some School Staff

March 21, 2018; Focus On: The Preliminary Budget

Which Jobs Have Driven Staffing Increases at the City’s Department of Education Over the Last 10 Years?
November 21, 2017

Tallying the Cost & Savings from Givebacks for NYC’s Paid Parental Leave
September 19, 2017

How Does Pay at NYC Transit Compare With Other Metropolitan Transportation Authority Agencies?
January 9, 2017

How Does Sick Leave Usage Vary Across the City’s Workforce?
October 25, 2016; New YorK City by The Numbers

Does Firm Size Matter When It Comes to Wage Levels and Employment Shares?
July 21, 2016; New York City by the Numbers

New York City Health Insurance Cost Savings
February 26, 2016; Testimony, 2 pages    PDF

How Much Has the City Spent on Overtime Over the Past 10 Years?
December 30, 2015;New York City by the Numbers

The Big Unknown: How Much Could Union Settlements Cost?
February 28, 2014; Focus On: The Preliminary Budget  PDF

Report on Pay, Demographics of Municipal Workforce Slips
From Sight on Bloomberg Administration’s Last Day

February 5, 2014;
IBO Weblog Post

Did the Number of Municipal Employees Decrease Under the Bloomberg Administration?
January 7, 2014;
New York City by The Numbers

Letter on Coincident Indicators for the Paid Sick Leave Law
December 13, 2013; Letter, 1 page    PDF

Salaries for Local Government Employees: How Does NYC Measure Up?
January 17, 2013; New York City By The Numbers Post

How Much Has Hurricane Sandy Cost  The City in Overtime Spending?
January 4, 2013; New York City By The Numbers Post

Cutting the City’s Billion Dollar Spending on Overtime May be Easier Said than Done
October 4, 2012; IBO Weblog post

Few Layoffs in 2013 City Budget, But Municipal Workforce Would Continue to Shrink
July 24, 2012; IBO Weblog Post

Living Wage, Again
November 30, 2011; IBO Weblog Post

Sick Days and the City
October 13, 2010; IBO Weblog Post

Total Spending on CityTime Project
September 10, 2010;  Letter, 1 page

Testimony to the New York City Council Committee on Finance on On the Prevailing Wage Bill (Intro 18)
May 11, 2010;  Testimony, 3 pages

When It Comes to Making Labor Contracts Readily Accessible, Albany’s Got Us Beat
August 13, 2009; IBO Weblog Post

Two Paramedics on an Ambulance—Only in New York
July 27, 2009; IBO Weblog Post

How Much Did He Say in Pension Savings?
March 6, 2009; IBO Weblog Post

Big City, Big Staff—But Maybe Not as Big as It Seems
January 21, 2009; IBO Weblog Post

How Much Will the Proposed Early-Retirement Bill Cost the City?
June 18, 2008;  Newsfax, 4 pages, plus appendix

City Labor Costs: Growth Rate Slows, For Now
January 25, 2005;  Newsfax Article

Paying for the City's Workforce: Costs Rise as Headcount Falls
November 6, 2003;  Newsfax Article

What's Driving New York City's Growing Pension Burden?
August 13, 2003;  Newsfax Article

The Municipal Workforce: Big As A Decade Ago, But Composition Has Changed
December 11, 2001;  Newsfax Article

Council Pushes Plan for Corrections' Retirement Benefits
May 24, 2000;  Newsfax Article

Performance Measurement & Productivity

Including Resident Surveys in the Mayor's Management Report
December 14, 2015; Testimony, 2 pages    PDF

Evaluating the Structure and Content of the Mayor’s Management Report
December 10, 2014; Testimony, 2 pages    PDF

Testimony to the New York City Council Small Business Committee On Intro. 256-2010, a Local Law to Amend the City Charter Regarding EDC’s Annual Reporting Requirements
November 4, 2010;  Testimony, 2 pages

How the MMR Went MIA
October 27, 2012; IBO Weblog Post

311 Customer Service Center: More Calls and a Growing Budget
April 16, 2008;  Fiscal Brief, 5 pages

City's Payout for Lawsuits Continues to Rise Rapidly
June 13, 2006;  Newsfax Article

Police Overtime: Tracking the Big Growth in Spending
April 29, 2004;  Fiscal Brief, 7 Pages

Evaluation of the Performance of the Department of Design and Construction in Improving the Speed and Cost-Efficiency of Capital Construction Projects
March 29, 2004;  Memo, 6 pages

Refuse and Recycling: Comparing the Costs
February 2, 2004;  Report plus appendix

Proposed Charter Revisions to Eliminate the Preliminary Mayor's Management Report
October 16, 2003;  Testimony, 2 pages

Paying for the City's Workforce: Costs Rise as Headcount Falls
November 6, 2003;  Newsfax Article

Improving the Efficiency of City Services
May 29, 2003;  Testimony, 3 pages

Lawsuits and the Sidewalks of New York
May 9, 2002;  Newsfax Article

Civilianization and the New York City Police Department
April 19, 2002;  Testimony, 5 pages

The Structure and Content of the Mayor's Management Report
April 11, 2002;  Testimony, 3 pages

What About My Street? How the City Can Improve Its Tracking of Service Delivery
February 28, 2002;  Policy Brief, 8 pages

The Municipal Workforce: Big As A Decade Ago, But Composition Has Changed
December 11, 2001;  Newsfax Article

Full Disclosure? Assessing City Reporting on Business Retention Deals
June 2001;  Report, 12 pages

Judgement and Claims Update: Large Settlement May Mean Additional Costs
January 30, 2001;  Newsfax Article

New York City's Escalating Costs for Resolving Lawsuits
January 3, 2001;  Newsfax Article

Preparing The City's Computer Systems For The Year 2000
June 6, 1997;

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