Citizens Union’s Positions on the 2024 Ballot Proposals
October 10, 2024 - write-ups of CU's positions on the 2024 ballot proposals. We recommend a YES vote on Proposal 1 and a NO vote on Proposal 2-6
Watchdog Groups Urge Governor and Legislative Leaders to Publish Basic Financial Tables with Budget Agreement
March 29, 2023 - A letter to the Governor, Senate Majority Leader, and Assembly Speaker on publishing basic, multi-year financial plan tables as part of the Fiscal Year 2024 Enacted Budget.
Group Letter to Legislative Leaders on Omitting extraordinary budget powers from the enacted budget
March 23, 2023 - A letter to Senate Majority Leader and Assembly Speaker urging them to ensure that extraordinary budget powers are omitted from the enacted budget, and that they reject provisions added to appropriations that remove competitive bidding requirements and theComptroller’s oversight.
Dozens of Unions, Watchdogs, and Other Groups Urge Gov. Hochul to Sign Bill Restoring Comptroller’s Oversight Powers
October 5, 2022 - Eight unions and 27 organizations sent a memo of support today urging Governor Hochul to sign S6809-A/A7925-A (Reichlin-Melnick/Zebrowski), which restores many of the State Comptroller’s contract oversight powers. District Council 37, CWA District 1, AFSCME, and NYSUT were among those calling on the Governor to sign the bill, which the legislature passed in June.
Watchdogs Ask Gov Hochul to Keep Her Transparency Pledge, Show Public How $8B+ in Lump Sum Funds Are Spent
May 24, 2022 - Leading government and budget watchdog groups are once again asking Government Hochul to keep her promise to bring a “new era of transparency” to state government, this time by showing the public how billions in state lump sum funds are spent.
Citizens Union Issues Statement in Response to 2022 State Budget Deal
April 8, 2022 - Citizens Union releases the following statement from Executive Director Betsy Gotbaum on the details of the New York State budget deal:
“Governor Hochul’s first state budget presented a rare opportunity to push for meaningful ethics reform in Albany. Unfortunately, the governor and the legislature failed to create an independent ethics oversight body. The new commission designed to replace JCOPE is fatally flawed, will not have the public’s confidence and will not be able to oversee the state’s most powerful elected officials without fear or favor.
Citizens Union Announces Positions On Ballot Proposals For 2019 General Election
October 7, 2019 - Good Government Group Supports Ranked Choice Voting, Increasing Oversight of NYPD, Modifications to the City Budget, and Changes to Land Use Review; Opposes Proposed Changes to Ethics Rule.
Citizens Union Applauds Charter Revision Commission for Putting Ranked Choice Voting, CCRB Reforms on November Ballot
July 25, 2019 — Citizens Union, a leading good government group committed to fostering accountability, accessibility, and transparency in our government issues the following statement from Executive Director Betsy Gotbaum on the proposals put on the ballot by the Charter Revision Commission.
Memorandum of Support: S.3287 (Krueger)/A.1835 (Ortiz)
February 16, 2019 - An act to amend the legislative law, in relation to creation of the non-partisan legislative budget office
Spending in the Shadows FY19 Executive Budget – Executive Summary
February 7, 2019 - Spending in the Shadows Executive Summary
Spending in the Shadows – Nonspecific Funding in the FY 19 NYS Executive Budget
February 7, 2019 - Spending in the Shadows Executive Budget
Spending in the Shadows 2019 Enacted Addendum
February 7, 2019 - Spending in the Shadows Enacted Addendum
Citizens Union Faults State for Proposed $11.7 Billion in Unaccounted Spending
March 28, 2018 - Today, Citizens Union released Spending in the Shadows: Nonspecific Funding in the FY 2019 New York State Executive Budget.
Spending in the Shadows FY2019
New Yorkers need a clear way to be informed of billions budgeted, without any public reporting from the New York State Assembly or State Senate, over the past five years.
Spending in the Shadows Media Advisory
May 25th, 2017 - Citizens Union will announce the latest findings of the annual Spending in the Shadows report. This report illuminates $13 billion in nonspecific lump sum funding “pots” found in the New York FY 2018 Enacted Budget.
Citizens Union Releases Spending in the Shadows Report
March 21, 2017 - There is little, if any, public disclosures in reporting on how these funds are eventually spent, involving whom, and what elected officials are involved.
Spending in the Shadows 2018
Spending in the Shadows Nonspecific Funding in the FY 2018 New York State Enacted Budget Download as a PDF: Spending…
Citizens Union Report Finds Nonspecific Discretionary “Lump Sum Funds” Persist & Grow In State Budget
September 29, 2016 - Citizens Union released the latest edition of the budget report "Spending in the Shadows."
Citizens Union’s “State Spending in the Shadows” Report Finds $2.4 Billion In Opaque Funds In Nearly 80 Lump Sum Pots In State Budget
February 29, 2016 - Legislature expected to add its own discretionary pots as it did last year when it added 30 pots totalling $300 million.
Citizens Union Finds $300 Million More in Opaque “Lump Sum Funds” Added to Enacted Budget
April 17, 2015 - $2.9 Billion in Spending is Still Unaccounted for in Spite of Broader Ethics Push.
Citizens Union Report Finds Opaque Discretionary “Lump Sum Funds” Persist in State Budget
March 19, 2015 - Proposed $2.6 Billion in spending needs greater accountability and transparency.
Reform Groups Call On Senate, Assembly To Block Passage Of Purported Campaign Finance Reforms Contained In Budget
March 31, 2014 - There has been a virtual political crime wave at the state capital – with over 30 public officials engulfed in scandal over the past eight years.
Citizens Union Statement on Proposed Changes in the State Budget
March 29, 2014 - On proposed changes in the state budget to campaign finance, election enforcement and ethics.
New Report Highlights Albany Spending In The Shadows
September 24, 2013 - “Grab Bags” of loosely defined funds invite corruption.
Citizens Union State Budget Reform Report Card: Two “I”s for Improvement, but Still Incomplete
April 11, 2012 - Report card finds mixed results in state’s implementation of 2007 budget reforms. Further reforms needed to enhance transparency, integrity, and efficiency of budget process.