Sentences with phrase «budget watchdog in»

The Empire Center, a conservative budget watchdog in Albany, has criticized state leaders for creating the new fund, saying it's yet another source of political pork.

Not exact matches

The budget watchdog also didn't account for potential changes in behaviour by business owners to avoid a tax increase.

«We've made a lot of progress in the last 10 years on transparency, but there's still some real problem areas,» said Bob Williams, the president of watchdog group State Budget Solutions.

New Democrat defence critic Jack Harris accused the government of not only keeping the public in the dark, but watchdogs such as the parliamentary budget office, which had a tough time compiling its own estimate on the war earlier this winter.

Speaking at a public meeting in which the Park District's $ 385 million budget was unveiled, Laurence Msall, president of the Civic Federation, said the tax watchdog group supported the district's restraint in not raising property taxes and increasing employee contributions to health care costs, but was troubled by the «pension holiday.»

Fiscal watchdogs like the Empire Center have disagreed, suggesting cost reductions elsewhere in the budget could shore up the revenue balance.

Cuomo has long sought to consolidate and scale back the size of local governments in New York, which he has blamed for the state's high property taxes — an assertion budget watchdogs say is more tied to the cost of programs like Medicaid or employee pensions.

NEW YORK (Reuters)- Half of the money spent so far from New York state's $ 10 billion in legal settlement windfall has gone to support the state budget rather than the capital projects for which it should be used, the state's chief fiscal watchdog said on Friday.

A budget watchdog group says New York's new 10 - year plan of how it will spend over $ 174 billion in road and bridge and numerous other projects lacks transparency.

«Our taxpayers are supposed to have a chief fiscal watchdog overlooking state budgets, so how is it possible that we are in the shape we are in?

Albany, New York — Prominent budget and transparency watchdog groups today called on the legislative leaders to act on their public statements on clean contracting, and pass meaningful legislation in response to the largest bid - rigging scandal in state history.

Government watchdogs expressed concern that the budget added more than $ 700 million in new agency spending since January despite reduced tax - revenue projections from real - estate transactions and personal income taxes.

The Citizens Budget Commission, a nonprofit financial watchdog group, in a report last week, predicted that even with the planned fare increases, the MTA stands to post budget deficits in the hundreds of millions of dollars in the next several years without a new revenue stream to fund the subwayBudget Commission, a nonprofit financial watchdog group, in a report last week, predicted that even with the planned fare increases, the MTA stands to post budget deficits in the hundreds of millions of dollars in the next several years without a new revenue stream to fund the subwaybudget deficits in the hundreds of millions of dollars in the next several years without a new revenue stream to fund the subway plan.

The watchdog group Citizens Budget Commission says the event comes in the final days of the legislative session, when over 50 bills have emerged that enhance benefits for state and local public employees, with a price tag of $ 140 million dollars.

But that money represents a small number in a state where the budget now routinely tops $ 160 billion and won't have much impact, a tax watchdog said.

A leading budget watchdog group is accusing Gov. Andrew Cuomo of fudging the numbers in his state budget to appear to stay within his self - imposed two percent per - year spending cap.

Critics, including budget watchdog groups, say STAR is inefficient and has simply led to padding of school budgets, not any real decrease in property taxes for homeowners.

Facing criticism from de Blasio, his allies, and budget watchdogs who warned the shifts would devastate the city's finances, Cuomo insisted his budgeting would simply foster a joint cost - saving exercise that in the end wouldn't cost the city anything.

Revamping property taxes could produce $ 4 billion in funds, according to business - supported watchdog group Citizens Budget Commission.

E.J. McMahon of the watchdog group Empire Center for Public Policy wrote that the new budget includes nearly $ 500 million in «the biggest, murkiest, pork - barrel slush fund in Albany — and perhaps any state capital — has ever seen.»

Fiscal watchdogs disagree with the assessment, saying with adjusted spending, the revenue could still be shored up in the final budget.

Lawmakers and budget watchdogs have questioned the effectiveness of the state's use of tax credits and other spending incentives in order to spur job growth.

Ethics watchdogs at the Capitol also remain miffed the package of reforms initially proposed by Cuomo during his State of the State and budget presentation in January have fallen off the table in mid-March.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo counts on $ 1.2 billion in «fiscal gimmicks» to keep spending growth below 2 percent in his proposed 2017 state budget, a government watchdog agency said.

NYC will have to shell out nearly $ 200 million more on homeless shelters next year on top of what's in Mayor Bill de Blasio's budget, according to a report by an independent budget watchdog.

Mayor Bill de Blasio has asked New York City commissioners to look for ways to cut costs in a gesture of fiscal moderation prompted by worries over the rocky world economy, drawing cautious praise from budget watchdogs.

Elizabeth Lynam, director of state studies at the fiscal watchdog Citizens Budget Commission, said she knows of no other business in the state that is claiming the property tax credit without paying taxes.

The watchdog group Citizens Budget Commission says the spending plan contains far fewer gimmicks and one shot revenue raisers than in the past.

A budget watchdog group says New York's new 10 year plan of how it will spend more than $ 174 billion in road, bridge and numerous other projects lacks transparency and needs more details on how it will all be paid for.

The watchdog agency's predicament is just one example of what happens in the budgetary bloodletting of fashioning a $ 20 - billion annual budget plan when the state faces a huge shortfall in revenue.

Florida TaxWatch, the nonpartisan government watchdog group, released its annual «Budget Turkey List,» of almost $ 178 million in line - item projects that are part of the $ 82.4 billion budget passed May 8 by the Florida House and SBudget Turkey List,» of almost $ 178 million in line - item projects that are part of the $ 82.4 billion budget passed May 8 by the Florida House and Sbudget passed May 8 by the Florida House and Senate.

Carol Kellermann, the president of nonpartisan fiscal watchdog Citizens Budget Commission, was equally outraged, telling The Observer, «Funds paid in settlement of litigation with the state, unless intended to compensate for specific losses, should be used as determined through the normal budget and appropriation prBudget Commission, was equally outraged, telling The Observer, «Funds paid in settlement of litigation with the state, unless intended to compensate for specific losses, should be used as determined through the normal budget and appropriation prbudget and appropriation process.

Florida TaxWatch, the nonpartisan government watchdog organization, served up its annual list of «Budget Turkeys,» naming almost $ 178 million in line - item projects part of the $ 82.4 billion budget passed May 8 by the Florida House and SBudget Turkeys,» naming almost $ 178 million in line - item projects part of the $ 82.4 billion budget passed May 8 by the Florida House and Sbudget passed May 8 by the Florida House and Senate.

Budget watchdogs have also weighed in.

Bill Hammond, the health policy analyst for the budget watchdog group The Empire Center, says that under the proposal in Congress, the state would likely lose some federal Medicaid funding, in the best case scenario around $ 2 billion.

«It's clear the Council is trying to assert itself in budgeting,» said Maria Doulis, vice president of Citizens Budget Commission, an independent fiscal watchdog.

This is true in terms of the raw dollar amount, which is several billion, but with a $ 83.4 billion budget that has expanded rapidly under de Blasio, the city is somewhat short of a safe «budget cushion,» according to Comptroller Scott Stringer and other watchdogs.

Syracuse, N.Y. - A state budget watchdog and some local conservative leaders are defending Mayor Stephanie Miner's insistence on answers before embracing a $ 500 million sports facility in a city set to run out of money in as little as three years.

For example, the Citizens Budget Commission, a government finance watchdog, released a report in October that projected a $ 4 billion price tag for statewide pre-K.

The watchdog group Citizens Budget Commission said the newest checks are the latest in a string of what it calls «rebate madness.»

Budget watchdogs and rating agencies do agree that this administration has been fiscally responsible in its spending but many have called on the city to boost these reserves to insulate against a widely forecasted economic downturn.

The state Authorities Budget Office, a relatively young watchdog charged with overseeing such entities, applauded the bill signing as «a significant step forward in reforming the vast and archaic web of public authorities in New York.»

The article also cited research from the Citizens Budget Commission, a nonpartisan government watchdog group, that likewise found more than $ 8 billion spent each year on economic development incentives in New York state.

Maria Doulis, vice-president of the Citizens Budget Commission, a nonpartisan, nonprofit budget watchdog, sounded two big notes of caution in the executive bBudget Commission, a nonpartisan, nonprofit budget watchdog, sounded two big notes of caution in the executive bbudget watchdog, sounded two big notes of caution in the executive budgetbudget.

A scathing report from the state's watchdog Authorities Budget Office details how the EFC skirted its responsibilities in considering a $ 511 million loan to the Thruway Authority to help finance the $ 3.9 billion New NY Bridge, as the new span is called.

An analysis by Citizens Budget Commission, the nonpartisan nonprofit budget watchdog, showed that $ 189 million of the nearly $ 1 billion in savings proposed just for fiscal 2017 comes from agency efficieBudget Commission, the nonpartisan nonprofit budget watchdog, showed that $ 189 million of the nearly $ 1 billion in savings proposed just for fiscal 2017 comes from agency efficiebudget watchdog, showed that $ 189 million of the nearly $ 1 billion in savings proposed just for fiscal 2017 comes from agency efficiencies.

Among the ideas excluded from any final budget deal: creation of a database that the public could search for how much every recipient of economic development spending got and how many jobs they created; end the ability by limited liability companies to skirt campaign donation limits; give back certain contract pre-approval powers to the state Comptroller, the state's fiscal watchdog; strengthen the state's criminal laws to better define bribery of public officials; and create an independent watchdog agency to police ethics issues in Albany.

Dead in the budget deal was a whole host of long - sought measures by watchdog groups who say Albany needs some basic, structural changes in order to reduce the parade of corruption cases that been so steady the past dozen or so years.

This expansion has drawn flak from the Citizens Budget Commission, an influential fiscal watchdog in Manhattan.

Fiscal watchdogs and independent budget analysts have estimated those proposed cuts — which include a shift in how the City University of New York schools are funded, city assumption of its own growth in Medicaid costs, and a state clawback of savings the city achieved through a debt refinancing — would cost the city nearly $ 1 billion in the coming fiscal year, an amount that would increase with each passing year.