Tax Watch

New York’s Medicaid reforms came in $14 million under the state-mandated spending cap for this fiscal year, according to figures released by Gov. Andrew Cuomo. At the same time, the state provided health insurance coverage to 140,000 additional New Yorkers. Without state reforms, spending would have jumped $2.3 billion this… Read More →

Despite the Great Recession, most school budgets throughout New York state passed even as the economy weakened. In 2011, the budgets in 45 districts statewide failed, but that was just 6.7 percent of the 678 school districts with budget votes. In fact, a higher percentage of school budgets failed in… Read More →

The Lower Hudson Valley’s unemployment rate rose a slightly last month, but all three counties still reported some of the lowest rates in New York. Overall, the region’s unemployment rate was 6.8 percent, up 0.1 percent when compared to a year earlier. Last month, there were 46,000 people unemployed in… Read More →

A state Department of Financial Services investigation has resulted in $95.9 million worth of insurance payments for thousands of New Yorkers who have life insurance policies. The investigation, announced today by Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s office, found that although many insurance companies receive lists of recent deaths, they weren’t always using… Read More →

Last week, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo released the official 2012-13 budget that keeps state spending growth at 2 percent. The budget also launches the New Works Task Force, which is slated to invest in rebuilding roads, bridges and other infrastructure and create “tens of thousands of jobs,” according to… Read More →

Lower Hudson Valley counties are expected to save an estimated $151.2 million over the next five years under the new pension reform plan and mandate relief measures that are included in the 2012-13 state budget. The figures, reported by Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s office, includes savings in Medicaid, early intervention programs… Read More →