Gotham Gazette

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Tom DiNapoli

Tom DiNapoli

  • How Much to Raise, How Much to Spend: Hochul and Legislature Wrangle Over Tax Rates in State Budget Negotiations

    Gov. Hochul makes a budget presentation (photo: Mike Groll/Governor's Office)


    When Governor Kathy Hochul delivered her State of the State address in January, she promised to keep income taxes flat this year while identifying other revenue sources to pay for major funding needs.

    "A majority of economists are predicting a recession," she said. "And it's also one of the reasons why we will not be raising income taxes this year."

    The Legislature is now putting that promise to the test, seeking to increase taxes on the state’s highest individual and corporate earners as the legislative and

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  • How the Pandemic Changed New York City's Budget Priorities, Per State Comptroller Report

    Mayor Adams and top aides at City Hall (photo: Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office)


    New York City is expected to spend more money on education, public health, social services, and public safety in the next fiscal year than what was predicted three years ago, before the COVID-19 pandemic devastated the city and shifted its budget priorities, according to a new report from State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli. But the new spending, including on recurring expenses, is possible in part because the city’s budget has been bolstered by federal pandemic relief, which will run out in the 2026 fiscal year,

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  • Stressing Restraint, Mayor Adams Releases $102.7 Billion Preliminary Budget for 2024 Fiscal Year

    (photo: Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office)


    Mayor Eric Adams on Thursday released an $102.7 billion preliminary budget for the 2024 fiscal year, which begins July 1, stressing the importance of careful spending and good fiscal management amid a variety of uncertainties and challenges.

    The mayor’s latest budget proposal is up $1.7 billion from the $101 billion budget that was adopted in June 2022 for the current fiscal year and down $1.3 billion from the latest budget modification in November, which projected $104 billion in spending by the end of the current fiscal year. At least

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  • 'A Bill Like This Should Be A No-Brainer': Hochul Yet to Move on Legislation Restoring Comptroller's Contract Review Powers

    Gov. Hochul at a bill-signing (photo: Mike Groll/Governor's Office)


    Update: Governor Hochul signed legislation to restore some of the comptroller's oversight of SUNY, CUNY, and Office of General Services centralized contracts on December 30, 2022.

    Governor Kathy Hochul has yet to sign a bill that would restore some of the Comptroller's contract oversight powers that had been stripped by her predecessor, Andrew Cuomo, putting her at odds with the state's chief fiscal watchdog, members of the State Legislature,

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  • Facing Depleted Agencies, New York City Government Plans to Add 25,000 More Employees by June 2023

    Mayor Adams at City Hall (photo: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office.)


    New York City’s municipal workforce dropped by more than 19,000 full-time employees over the last two years, according to a report released this week by State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli’s office, and there are currently more than 21,000 vacancies as city agencies struggle to retain workers and maintain city services.

    Questions have repeatedly been raised about whether Mayor Eric Adams’ administration is able to accomplish its policy goals given

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  • New York Overpaid $194 Million for Medicaid During the Pandemic, Comptroller Audit Finds

    Then-Gov. Cuomo holds a health care meeting (photo: Philip Kamrass/Governor's Office)


    New York State overpaid more than $194 million in Medicaid payments during the pandemic after state officials failed to move eligible recipients to a cheaper funding plan, according to the Office of State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli.

    An audit of Medicaid payments from March 2021 to March 2022 found the state Department of Health continued to pay higher premiums to care management organizations even after receiving federal authorization to move some Medicaid recipients to a different plan at a fraction of

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  • Schumer, James, DiNapoli Each Win Another Term in New York Statewide Offices

     

    Tom DiNapoli, Letitia James, and Chuck Schumer


    Beyond the top of the ticket governor's race that has gotten most of the attention, Democrats running for New York's other statewide offices on the ballot also prevailed Tuesday night.

    Though some of the races appear tighter than Democrats might have hoped in a state where they outnumber Republicans two to one, the wins come in an election year where many political dynamics favored the GOP.

    Incumbents U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, State Attorney General Letitia James, and State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli each won against their

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  • Arguments For and Against Question 1 on the 2022 New York Ballot, The $4.2 Billion Environmental Bond Act

    Then-Lt. Gov. Hochul opens a solar farm (photo: Philip Kamrass/ New York Power Authority)


    On the back of every New Yorker's ballot this fall is a question: whether or not to allow the state to borrow $4.2 billion to pay for major clean environment and climate change mitigation infrastructure.

    The provision, known as the "Clean Water, Clean Air, and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act," would authorize the state comptroller to sell bonds on behalf of the State of New York to pay for projects related to greenhouse gas emissions, flood risk, clean water, land conservation, and other climate-related

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  • In Office Since 2007, DiNapoli Looks to Hold Off Rodriguez for Another Term as State Comptroller

    Tom DiNapoli, left, and Paul Rodriguez


    The State Comptroller is New York’s top fiscal officer, a position that has been held by Tom DiNapoli, a Democrat, for nearly 15 years. As DiNapoli seeks a fourth full-term in office this year, he is being challenged in the general election by Paul Rodriguez, the nominee of the Republican and Conservative parties and a veteran of several Wall Street financial firms.

    A relatively obscure position from a public point of view, the comptroller’s office acts as a watchdog over the

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  • Max Politics Podcast: Paul Rodriguez, Republican Nominee for NYS Comptroller

    NYS Comptroller candidate Paul Rodriguez (photo: Rodiguez campaign)


    October 20, 2022 - Max Politics Podcast: Paul Rodriguez, Republican Nominee for NYS Comptroller

    Paul Rodriguez, the Republican nominee for New York State Comptroller, joined the show to discuss his campaign, vision for the office, and argument for choosing him over incumbent Comptroller Tom DiNapoli, a Democrat.

    Listen to the conversation and let us know what you think, on Twitter @TweetBenMax. You can listen to the show through the embedded audio below or

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  • Max Politics Podcast: Democrat Tom DiNapoli Seeks Another Term as NYS Comptroller

    NYS Comptroller Tom DiNapoli (photo: DiNapoli campaign)


    October 20, 2022 - Max Politics Podcast: Democrat Tom DiNapoli Seeks Another Term as NYS Comptroller

    New York State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli, the Democratic incumbent who has held the office since 2007, joined the show to discuss his reelection campaign, how he has fulfilled the responsibilities of the office, and his case for choosing him over Republican opponent Paul Rodriguez.

    Listen to the conversation and let us know what you think, on Twitter @TweetBenMax. You

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  • 'Mixed Signals': New York City's Precarious Economic Recovery

    There has been a strong return to in-person entertainment in NYC (photo: Michael Appleton/Mayor's Office)


    The New York City economy has rebounded significantly from the depths of the covid recession but volatile economic indicators have left the city in a precarious position.

    As of June, New York City’s unemployment rate reached 6.2%, down from 10.5% in June 2021. The city gained 298,600 private sector jobs from June 2021 to June 2022, reaching 3,951,000 jobs, according to the New York State Department of Labor. Tourism to the

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  • Max Politics Podcast: Comptroller DiNapoli on State & MTA Finances, Penn Station Redevelopment, & More

    Comptroller Tom DiNapoli (photo: @NYSComptroller)


    August 2, 2022 - Comptroller DiNapoli on State & MTA Finances, & More

    New York State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli joined the show to discuss state and MTA finances, the New York economy, use of federal pandemic aid, the Penn Station area redevelopment plan, the New York City budget limbo over school funding cuts, and more.

    Listen to the conversation and let us know what you think, on Twitter @TweetBenMax. You can listen to the show through the embedded audio below or download

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  • What To Do with Billions of Dollars Beyond Projections That Keeps Flowing into New York State Coffers

    Gov. Hochul presents the budget (photo: Mike Groll/Office of Governor Kathy Hochul)


    The State adopted its budget on April 9 with substantial investments across the board in helping New Yorkers, from big increases in school aid and child care to homeowner rebates, gas tax relief for motorists, more funding to avoid evictions, bonuses for health care workers, and relief for hospitals and the health care system. Governor Hochul and the Legislature based the revenue and spending assumptions on an update from the Governor in late February, modified by an early

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  • Experts Analyze Future of New York City's Central Business Districts

    At the stock exchange (photo: Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office)


    The COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc on New York City’s core Central Business Districts – particularly Midtown Manhattan and Lower Manhattan – which are home to the businesses and industries that are the biggest drivers of the city’s economy.

    The lockdown and stay-at-home orders forced by the pandemic changed the nature of work in the city and beyond, and though the office sector – including the information, financial and real estate, and professional and business services industries that occupy so much of the space

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  • Hochul's Ordered Review of New York's Covid Response 'Underway'

    Then-Gov. Cuomo & then-Lt. Gov. Hochul (photo: Darren McGee/Governor's Office)


    An internal review of New York State's response to the COVID-19 pandemic is quietly "underway," a spokesperson for Governor Kathy Hochul has confirmed, though what stage it is in remains unclear.

    The governor's office has been tight-lipped about its scope and timeline but acknowledged that a review is being discussed, at least among top administration officials, in response to Gotham Gazette inquiries. Those questions followed Gotham Gazette reporting last month on the possibility of an investigatory

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  • Bills Stadium Deal Tests Hochul's Ethics Promises and Legislature's Oversight Role

    Gov. Hochul at a Bills game (photo: @GovKathyHochul)


    Last week Governor Kathy Hochul announced a deal to build a new stadium for the Buffalo Bills with hundreds of millions of dollars in state subsidies, and that she was planning to push it through the state budget with little time for scrutiny by the Legislature or public. It was the exact type of Albany politics many feared of the secretive negotiations with Hochul’s hometown team – and the type she promised to leave behind when she took office last year.

    The new stadium deal is also the first major test of a non-binding ...

  • De Blasio Releases Final City Budget Update as Mayor, Setting Fiscal Stage for Adams

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    Mayor de Blasio giving a budget briefing (photo: Rob Bennett/Office of Mayor Bill de Blasio)


    New York City’s budget for the 2022 fiscal year, which began July 1, has increased to a record $102.8 billion, a $4.1 billion uptick since it was first adopted, according to the latest financial update released by Mayor Bill de Blasio on Tuesday. The increase in spending, driven by federal relief and stimulus aid, was accompanied by new savings in agency spending, reduced debt and pension costs, and lower projected budget gaps for the future than previously

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  • 'A Much More Powerful Presence Than Was Appropriate': Tom DiNapoli on Andrew Cuomo's Reign and Resignation

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    Comptroller DiNapoli, right, & Governor Cuomo (photo: governor's office)


    Comptroller Tom DiNapoli, the self-described “steady hand helping the state move along” throughout more than a decade of scandal and turmoil in New York politics, is expressing optimism about the change of leadership expected when Governor Andrew Cuomo resigns and Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul becomes the state’s 57th Governor.

    Appearing recently on the Max Politics podcast hosted by Gotham Gazette’s Ben Max, DiNapoli discussed Cuomo’s decade-plus as governor,

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  • Watchdogs Worry About De Blasio's Last Budget, City’s Fiscal Future

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    (photo: Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office)


    New York City’s budget has grown massively under Mayor Bill de Blasio and reached a record high of $98.7 billion for the current fiscal year. The latest spending plan, which the mayor dubbed a “recovery budget,” deployed a huge infusion of federal stimulus funds to restore services that were cut at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, to expand existing programs, and launch new initiatives. But despite the mayor’s assurances that his successor, due to take office January 1, will inherit manageable

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  • Max Politics Podcast: Tom DiNapoli on the End of the Cuomo Era and What's Next

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    New York State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli (photo: Office of the NYS Comptroller)


    August 13, 2021 - Max Politics Podcast: Tom DiNapoli on the End of the Cuomo Era and What's Next

    New York State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli joined the show to discuss Governor Andrew Cuomo's resignation announcement and tenure, what he is hopeful about moving forward, his relationship with presumptive next governor Kathy Hochul, whether he may run for governor in 2022 himself, and more.

    Listen to the conversation and let us know

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  • After Overstating Budget Deficits, Cuomo and De Blasio Get Big Federal Bailout

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    Governor Cuomo and Mayor de Blasio (photo: Ed Reed/Mayor's Office)


    Governor Andrew Cuomo and Mayor Bill de Blasio have spent many months warning New Yorkers about cratering tax revenues because of the coronavirus pandemic, outlining yawning budget gaps that could force them to make drastic spending cuts to state and city services and lay off thousands of government workers. But while the fiscal future remains uncertain, their worst predictions did not come to pass — revenues were higher than expected and significant federal aid has flowed to New

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  • The Status of $6.5 Billion in Federal Covid Aid to New York City and State as End-of-Year Spending Deadline Looms

    Cuomo Javits hospital beds supplies

    Gov. Cuomo at a covid briefing (photo: Governor's Office)


    New York City has spent its entire $1.4 billion allocation from the Coronavirus Relief Fund, a key portion of the federal CARES Act relief package that expires at the end of the month. The state government is far from spending its own, much larger allotment from the fund, but officials say it will identify eligible spending without having to return money to the federal government.

    Many other states and localities have been struggling to distribute the funding, wrangling with strict

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  • What's At Stake for New York City in the 2020 Presidential Election

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    Joe Biden, with Andrew Cuomo (photo: governor's office)


    The country will be watching, and voting, with bated breath on Tuesday as the most consequential presidential election in decades nears conclusion. More than 84 million Americans have already cast their ballots in early voting and turnout is expected to break records despite the lingering coronavirus pandemic. 

    There’s much at stake for New York City in this election and it’s an understatement

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  • Low Four-Year CUNY Graduation Rate Linked to Limited Course Seats

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    (photo: City University of New York)


    Attaining a bachelor’s degree takes longer than four years for some full-time CUNY students who are unable to register for required and elective courses due to insufficient seats, a problem whose scope was revealed in a new audit by New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli. Delaying graduation is time consuming, expensive, and can mean no

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