Albany, NY, Jan 30, 2013 — New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo's pension stabilization plan could face some obstacles in the legislature.

Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver says he wants to know what the State Comptroller thinks of the idea first.  Go to full article

Canton, NY, Jan 04, 2013 — St. Lawrence County Legislators adopted a plan this week to raise the sales tax from three to four percent over the next five years. County administrator Karen St. Hilaire recommended the move. She says a one-percent hike in the sales tax would mean the county could reduce property taxes.  Go to full article

Schroon Lake, NY, Sep 25, 2012 — Governor Andrew Cuomo made headlines across New York this week after his trip to the Adirondacks. He traveled to Essex County on Sunday to paddle and fish for trout. But Cuomo's main mission in the North Country was promoting the $50 million conservation project that will add nearly 70,000 acres to the Park's forest preserve.

Here in the North Country, that historic deal is still drawing fierce criticism from some local government leaders, and from groups that represent the Park's towns and villages. But other local government leaders are embracing the land deal and say it will be good for their communities and the Park economy.  Go to full article

Watertown, NY, Sep 07, 2012 — State Senator Patty Ritchie has an idea to help ease overcrowding and costs at county jails.

As WRVO's Catherine Loper reports, the issue pits New York State against local governments.  Go to full article

Ithaca, NY, Sep 06, 2012 — Last summer, an anti-fracking group leaked a state transportation department document estimating the financial impact on New York's roads if hydro fracking for natural gas extraction goes ahead. The total expected was $200 to $400 million annually.

As the Innovation Trail's Ryan Delaney reports, many local governments have been working to make sure drilling companies will be accountable.  Go to full article

Albany, NY, Sep 03, 2012 — Local governments in New York continue to flounder, but there are signs that the state's finances are improving as Governor Cuomo and his budget director Robert Megna announced last week that the state finally got an upgrade in an assessment from a major rating agency.

Standard & Poor's changed the state's outlook from "stable" to "positive". Megna says he hopes that lays the groundwork for an improvement in the state's credit rating, which has been ranked as weak for decades: "This outlook revision is professional evidence from an outside observer that New York is once again on the right track."  Go to full article

Gouverneur, NY, Aug 16, 2012 — Christopher Miller resigned as village mayor of Gouverneur, N.Y., Wednesday afternoon. Deputy Mayor Ronald McDougall told multiple news sources that the two met Wednesday to discuss Miller's job, and agreed he should step down.

After Miller was elected last fall, village residents learned he was a convicted felon, for drug possession and forgery. He had also pleaded guilty to petit larceny and criminal trespass, and was on probation.  Go to full article

Canton, NY, Aug 14, 2012 — Half a decade after the Great Recession began, many local governments around the US and here in the North Country are still hurting. Core services and programs are being scaled back, cut or privatized. Last month alone, another 9,000 public sector workers were laid off nationwide.

While the private sector economy is creaking back to life, government experts say they sources of revenue that fund local programs haven't revived. As Brian Mann reports, that's sparked a new debate over what government should look like--not at the Federal level, but at the grassroots.  Go to full article

Albany, NY, Aug 02, 2012 — A report from New York State's comptroller finds local governments are struggling financially. Around 10 percent are running deficits or suffering from cash flow problems, and there's no end in sight. Karen DeWitt reports.  Go to full article

Malone, NY, Jun 12, 2012 — A new report about dissolving the Village of Malone, New York shows that homeowners could save tax money even if they create what's called a police-protection district.  Go to full article