May 17, 2013 — Voters in New York go to the polls on Tuesday, May 21 to approve new school budgets. The State School Boards Association finds that many school districts are living within the limits imposed by a property tax cap enacted two years ago.

The School Board Association's Tim Kremer says a survey of the state's school districts finds that the vast majority are budgeting within the strictures of the tax cap, and as a result, 93 percent expect their budgets to be approved by voters.  Go to full article

Apr 15, 2013 — It's tax day, and New York state says it's cracking down on tax evasion.

In a press release, New York State Tax Commissioner Tom Mattox says he's expanding a partnership with the State Police to aggressively pursue people who don't pay their taxes.  Go to full article

Albany, NY, Feb 22, 2013 — A group pressing for public campaign financing has compiled a list of large corporations who gave hundreds of thousands of dollars to some New York lawmakers. They charge that the donations are preventing the legislature from closing what they say are corporate tax loopholes.  Go to full article

Albany, NY, Jan 28, 2013 — Governor Cuomo is trying to have a no-drama budget this year, with a low-key presentation and a fiscally austere spending plan, with no major cuts or new taxes.

But growing opposition from the teachers' union and local governments may yet result in some sparks flying before the deal is settled in late March.  Go to full article

New York, NY, Dec 07, 2012 — The budget showdown, with its possibility of the nation heading over a "fiscal cliff", has gotten lots of attention in recent weeks. If Congress doesn't make a budget deal by year's end, it will trigger an end to many tax breaks, and automatically cut spending on federal programs.

In his blog this week, Watertown Mayor Jeff Graham calls all the concern "media hype." He says it doesn't matter if tax rates revert to the levels they were before President George W. Bush took office.

New York State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli disagrees. He says the other side of the fiscal cliff will be particularly bad for New York's middle and lower income families.  Go to full article

Albany, NY, Nov 12, 2012 — The New York Thruway Authority has postponed a meeting scheduled for Friday, Nov. 9, and rescheduled it for Tuesday, Nov.13. While there's no official agenda, opponents of a toll hike on trucks believe the matter will be voted on when the board meets.  Go to full article

Elizabethtown, NY, Jun 04, 2012 — On Saturday more than a hundred people rallied at the Horace Nye nursing home in Elizabethtown. Essex County supervisors may vote as early as tomorrow to privatize the home, as a cost-cutting measure. Opponents say the home is a vital service provided by the county.

As Brian Mann reports, counties across the North Country and across New York state have been scrambling to privatize care for the elderly.  Go to full article

Montreal, QC, May 15, 2012 — Austerity measures in Europe have sparked protests and political chaos. But belt tightening has also sparked unrest closer to home. In the province of Quebec, a plan to hike university tuitions has led to weeks of violent rallies, civil disobedience, and clashes with police.

As North Country Public Radio's Brian Mann reports, the US Consulate in Montreal has issued a security warning to American travelers in the city.  Go to full article

Feb 07, 2012 — The Cuomo Administration spent yesterday trying to put out fires after a newspaper reported that the entire staff of the Governor's Inspector General's office had been deputized to examine the private tax records of any state employee, including legislators.

The inspector general's office and the state tax department have quietly drawn up an agreement that allows employees in the office to obtain the tax records of more than 200,000 state workers, as well as contractors doing business with the state.

Karen DeWitt has more.  Go to full article

Lake Clear, NY, Jan 30, 2012 — Officials in Harrietstown have organized a new citizens committee to study the cost and future management of the Adirondack Regional Airport in Lake Clear. The airport was the target of a scathing report from the state Comptroller's office earlier this month that found the facility had been mismanaged.  Go to full article