Citizens Budget Commission
The Citizens Budget Commission is a nonpartisan, nonprofit civic organization that attempts to influence change in the finances and services of New York City and New York State government.
History
CBC was founded in 1932, at a time of great fiscal crisis, when a group of civic leaders decided to start a research organization that would analyze the city’s finances, evaluate the management of city government, report on these matters to its members, and recommend improvements to municipal officials. In 1984 CBC expanded its research to include state as well as city government.
Organization
CBC has been an advocate for government reform. Through research, as well as bringing together major stakeholders on key issues and working closely with media in the region, CBC has been a catalyst for positive change in such areas as budget reform, government finance, education, transportation, public authority reform, and economic competitiveness.
The research program is grounded in three fundamental beliefs:
- Serving the interests of the citizenry at large, rather than narrow special interests, should be the beacon that guides public officials as well as the standard for evaluating their performance;
- It is wrong to waste precious public resources, whether they are financial or human; and
- It is important to focus on the well-being of future New Yorkers, the most underrepresented interest of all in city and state government.
The CBC is divided into committees: Budget Policy, Competitiveness, Transportation, Economic Development & Housing, Solid Waste Management, and Port Authority of New York & Jersey Committees. Projects that do not fall under the control of one of these committees may have an ad hoc committee created for the duration of the project and dissolved as needed. Each committee is responsible for guiding the research and approving the reports and recommendations issued within its jurisdiction.[1]
Staff
Carol Kellermann serves as the commission's President with Charles Brecher as the Consulting Co-Director of Research, Michael Dardia as Co-Director of Research, Elizabeth Lynam as Vice President and Director of State Studies, Maria Doulis as Director of City Studies, and Corey Kunz as Director of Operations.
Executive Committee Officers of the Board of Trustees
Edward Skyler (Chairman), Walter Harris (Vice Chairman), Calvin Mitchell III (Vice Chairman), Merryl Tisch (Vice Chairman), Alair Townsend (Treasurer), Edward Wallace (General Counsel), and Anthony Mannarino (Secretary).