IBO’s primary responsibility is to provide nonpartisan information about the city budget and tax revenues. This can range from reviewing how much a particular agency spends to more in-depth considerations of program costs, historical trends, tax burdens, debt, or capital finances.
Issuing Required Reports. IBO publishes three annual reports required by the City Charter. Our Fiscal Outlook, issued prior to the upcoming fiscal year, provides an independent forecast of revenue and spending for the year ahead. IBO’s Analysis of the Preliminary Budget offers a comprehensive review of the Mayor’s proposals, and we follow up with an Analysis of the Executive Budget that highlights changes from the preliminary plan.
Examining Issues of Interest. IBO regularly produces “fiscal briefs” on critical issues confronting the city. These informative publications have covered important topics such as city spending on schools, progress and prospects for completing the Mayor’s housing plan, the tax burden on city residents, financing sports stadiums, and the cost of recycling. Our “background papers” are generally geared to narrower interests and technical readers and include methodological details or provide overviews of specific city programs. New York City by The Numbers provides short, visually based explanations and timely information on current fiscal issues.
IBO also testifies at public hearings and makes presentations to City Council committees and caucuses, individual members of the City Council, Borough Presidents and other elected officials and their staffs, as well as to community boards, civic groups, and other organizations.
Budget Options for New York City is IBO’s annual look at ways New York City can generate revenue or implement cost-saving measures.
IBO also publishes an annual Public Schools Education Indicators report.
Responding to Questions. IBO also responds to questions about the city budget and the local economy. Public officials, civic and community groups, academics, the media and others can reach out to IBO on a wide range of questions-whether to ask about the budget of a particular agency or program, or to request more complex research and analysis on budgetary, tax, or economic issues.
Offering Easy Access to Information. All IBO publications and the other resources we produce are available for free and can be found here on our website. To receive IBO publications by email click here. All reports are also released on Facebook, Twitter, and IBO’s RSS feed. Individual IBO reports and briefs are mailed on request.
IBO also produces educational materials to help you understand the city’s budget and participate in the budget process. These include Understanding New York City’s Budget: A Guide, Understanding New York City’s Budget: A Guide to the Capital Budget, and The Road to Adopting New York City’s Budget.