government finances

In advance of her upcoming 2025 State of the State Address onJan. 14, Gov.Kathy Hochulis promoting several initiatives intended to address the cost-of...

DEAR RUSTY: I'm 72 years old with 20 years of military service. I am retired collecting Social Security, my military pension and state retirement bene...

OLEAN — Those staying in Olean hotels and other short-term rentals will see their final bills go up 5% in 2025. The Common Council unanimously approve...

Local sales tax receipts continued to fluctuate in November, state officials said Tuesday. The Office of the State Comptroller reported that sales tax...

Federal agencies reported $161.5 billion in improper payments during fiscal year 2024, according to data released by the Office of Management and Budg...

ALBANY (TNS) — Cannabis processors and cultivators are urging Gov.Kathy Hochulto sign a bill that would restructure their tax filings to be on an annu...

David Walkerran the Government Accountability Office for a decade, under both a Republican and Democratic president. Elected officials should take him...

DEAR RUSTY: Please explain the Medicare premium increase based on income reported to Social Security. For those of us who waited to draw Social Securi...

Progressives who argue that “the rich” should pay their “fair share” of income taxes are inadvertently arguing they should get a tax cut. The IRS rece...

Gov. Kathy Hochul’s plan to mail $500 checks to millions of households has a problem: the sales tax “surplus” she wants to dish out doesn’t exist. Hoc...

OLEAN — “The hard part is over” in enacting a city hotel bed tax, city officials reported. On Friday, Gov. Kathy Hochul signed Senate Bill S6671, whic...

LITTLE VALLEY — Unanimously and without comment Tuesday, Cattaraugus County lawmakers approved a $293.7 million budget for 2025, up less than 1% from ...

LITTLE VALLEY — A hearing on the proposed Cattaraugus County budget for the 2025 fiscal year will be held at 5 p.m. Tuesday. Lawmakers are expected to...

ALBANY (TNS) — Some state tax incentive programs could be in peril next year as lawmakers consider slimming down underperforming initiatives to prepar...

Local sales taxes generally saw small declines in October, state officials reported. The Office of the State Comptroller reported that while 63% of co...

DEAR RUSTY: I served in the U.S. Army from January 1958 to Feb 1961. What increase should I receive for those years and who do I call and at what phon...

DEAR RUSTY: I retired at my full retirement age, am now 79 and will be 80 in December. I have been working consistently since. I get a meager Social S...

ALLEGANY — The town of Allegany has unanimously passed its budget for 2025. The adopted budget keeps the town under the 2% tax cap limit set by New Yo...