Local Government Publications

Local Government Publications Alert Box

Search Audits for reports on municipalities and school districts dating back to 2013.

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Research Reports > Fiscal Stress

January 2026 –

This report highlights Fiscal Stress Monitoring System (FSMS) results for school districts that reported financial data for school fiscal year (SY) 2024-25, which ended on June 30, 2025. Of the 669 districts scored, 4.6 percent (31 districts) received a fiscal stress designation. This was nine districts more than in SY 2023-24. The report also analyzes the several indicator categories (e.g., low fund balance, operating deficit, etc.) that measure fiscal stress, the number of districts that have been in chronic stress since FSMS began in SY 2012-13, and the environmental indicators (e.g., high teacher turnover, high poverty, etc.) that can provide context for understanding why a district may be designated in stress. 

Research Reports > Fiscal Stress

September 2025 –

This report highlights the results for counties, cities, towns and villages that reported annual financial data in time with the Office of the New York State Comptroller for local fiscal years ending (FYE) in 2024. Overall, the number of local governments designated in fiscal stress increased in FYE 2024 but remained near all-time lows. Included in this report is an analysis of both fiscal stress and environmental stress indicators and trends for non-filing local governments for fiscal stress purposes. | Fiscal Stress Monitoring System Statistics

Annual Reports > Debt, Financial Condition, Fiscal Stress, Reporting, Revenues/Cash Management, Sales Tax

February 2025 –

This report provides a summary analysis of the financial state of the local governments outside of New York City for local fiscal years ending in 2023. In FYE 2023, local governments and school districts were generally able to maintain fund balance levels and cash on hand due to pandemic-related federal funding and large increases in state aid, while lower inflation compared to FYE 2022 tempered growth in expenditures on equipment and materials. | NYS Local Government Interactive Data

Research Reports > Cash Receipts, Financial Condition, Fiscal Stress, General Oversight, Other, Revenues/Cash Management, Sales Tax

February 2025 –

This report examines the ways that funding received by local governments – from federal stimulus programs – as well as volatile annual state and local revenue sources – can impact local budgeting. The temporary nature of the federal stimulus funds in combination with state aid that has not kept pace with inflation, sales tax growth that has returned to lower pre-pandemic levels, and flat property tax revenue growth can put local governments closer to the edge of the fiscal cliff if not carefully managed.

Research Reports > Fiscal Stress

January 2025 –

This report highlights Fiscal Stress Monitoring System (FSMS) results for school districts that reported for school fiscal year (SY) 2023-24, which ended on June 30, 2024. Of the 670 districts scored, 22, or 3.3 percent, received a fiscal stress designation. This is six more than in SY 2022-23. The report also includes a look at districts that have experienced chronic fiscal stress over the twelve years since FSMS began and a brief analysis of the system’s companion set of environmental indicators. The environmental indicators show an increase in districts experiencing high teacher turnover and a decrease in those with a declining property tax base.

Research Reports > Fiscal Stress

October 2024 –

This snapshot highlights the results for counties, cities, towns and villages that reported for local fiscal years ending (FYE) in 2023. Overall, the number of local governments designated in fiscal stress remained at historic lows in FYE 2023. Included in this report is an analysis of environmental stress indicators, including population decline and reliance on State and federal aid. | Fiscal Stress Monitoring System Statistics

Research Reports > Fiscal Stress, Infrastructure, Other, Reporting

July 2024 –

This report focuses on the condition of local bridges using data from the Federal Highway Administration’s National Bridge Inventory. New York has made progress in recent years. Since 2017, the share of local bridges in poor condition has fallen from 12.1 percent to 10.0 percent. The federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) has directed federal funds to a variety of infrastructure projects, including bridge projects. The IIJA created the Bridge Formula Program, which provides $2.0 billion in federal funding for New York bridges from federal fiscal years 2022-2026. New York State’s Bridge NY program facilitates federally funded local bridge projects. Since 2016, Bridge NY has funded more than 800 projects with a total investment of nearly $1.7 billion. For county-level bridge data across the State, see our interactive map | download data [.xlsx].

Research Reports > Fiscal Stress

January 2024 –

This snapshot highlights the Fiscal Stress Monitoring System (FSMS) results for school districts that reported for school fiscal year (SY) 2022-23, which ended on June 30, 2023. Increases to federal pandemic relief aid and the State fully funding foundation aid kept many districts out of a stress designation. For SY 2022-23, sixteen school districts were designated as being in stress—the second-lowest number since the system was created. The report also includes a look at districts that have been chronically stressed over the eleven years since FSMS began.

Annual Reports > Debt, Financial Condition, Fiscal Stress, Reporting, Revenues/Cash Management, Sales Tax

January 2024 –

This report provides a summary analysis of the financial state of the local governments outside of New York City for local fiscal years ending in 2022. In FYE 2022, local governments had a more stable environment, both financially and operationally, compared to the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic. Still, some new challenges presented themselves, such as a sharp rise in inflation. | NYS Local Government Interactive Data.

Research Reports > Fiscal Stress

September 2023 –

This snapshot highlights the results for counties, cities, towns and villages that reported for local fiscal years ending (FYE) in 2022. Overall, the influx of federal pandemic relief aid, as well as robust sales tax revenues, were significant factors in lowering many municipalities’ fiscal stress scores in FYE 2022, especially for non-calendar year entities. Included in the report is an analysis of the 10 years of data collected since the launch of the system, focusing on what has been learned over the past decade. | Fiscal Stress Monitoring System 10 Year Statistics

Research Reports > Fiscal Stress

January 2023 –

This snapshot highlights the FSMS results for school districts that reported for school fiscal year (SY) 2021-22, which ended on June 30, 2022. Fewer school districts were scored in fiscal stress in this year than any other year since the System’s inception largely due to increases in State aid and temporary federal aid.

Annual Reports > Debt, Financial Condition, Fiscal Stress, Reporting, Revenues/Cash Management, Sales Tax

January 2023 –

This report provides a summary analysis of the financial state of the local governments outside of New York City for local fiscal years ending in 2021. Year two of the COVID-19 pandemic continued to present local officials with financial and operational challenges. In this report, we summarize these by class of local government. | NYS Local Government Interactive Data

Research Reports > Fiscal Stress

September 2022 –

This snapshot highlights the results for counties, cities, towns and villages that reported for local fiscal years ending (FYE) 2021. Overall, the influx of federal pandemic relief aid and rapid recovery of sales tax revenues were significant factors in lowering many municipalities’ fiscal stress scores in FYE 2021, especially for calendar year local governments.

Annual Reports > Debt, Financial Condition, Fiscal Stress, Reporting, Revenues/Cash Management, Sales Tax

February 2022 –

This Annual Report on Local Governments provides a summary analysis of the financial state of the local governments outside of New York City for local fiscal years ending in 2020. It highlights the unique challenges that local officials faced from the COVID-19 pandemic. | NYS Local Government Interactive Data

Research Reports > Fiscal Stress

January 2022 –

This snapshot highlights the FSMS results for school districts that reported for school fiscal year (SY) 2020-21, which ended on June 30, 2021. Fewer school districts were scored in fiscal stress in this year, but the COViD-19 pandemic and the local, State and federal responses to it had a negative impact on district operations.

Research Reports > Fiscal Stress

September 2021 –

This snapshot highlights the results for counties, cities, towns and villages that reported for local fiscal years ending (FYE) 2020. These scores, therefore, reflect the partial-year impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on operations for most local governments.

Research Reports > Fiscal Stress

January 2021 –

This snapshot highlights the FSMS results for school districts that reported for school fiscal year (SY) 2019-20, which ended on June 30, 2020, which included the period of the statewide mandatory school shutdown from March 18 through the end of the school year. The snapshot also discusses some of the major fiscal stress risk factors posed by the pandemic for school districts in SY 2020-21 (not yet scored).

Research Reports > Fiscal Stress

September 2020 –

This snapshot highlights the results for counties, cities, towns and villages that reported for local fiscal years ending (FYE) 2019. These scores, therefore, provide a baseline for local government fiscal preparedness in the period just prior to the pandemic. To provide additional context for these results, this snapshot also examines some of the biggest local government fiscal stress risk factors arising from the COVID-19 crisis.

Research Reports > Budgeting, Debt, Financial Condition, Fiscal Stress, Revenues/Cash Management, Sales Tax

July 2020 –

Our State’s local governments are being tested on many fronts as a result of the COVID-19 Pandemic. This report will examine some of the major risks to these revenue sources, the dependence of local governments on each, and the effects of federal government actions to help keep local governments afloat thus far.

Annual Reports > Debt, Financial Condition, Fiscal Stress, Reporting, Revenues/Cash Management, Sales Tax

February 2020 –

The following report highlights the very difficult fiscal environment under which local officials are expected to fulfill their obligations to the people they serve, as well as outlining the significant steps OSC is taking to assist in these efforts. | NYS Local Government Interactive Data