A Study of Local Governmental Expenditures and Revenues

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To summarize the results presented in the first four Index reports, it is clear that Long Island has a large number of local governmental entities that local government expenditures are large and growing, and that local taxpayers are paying for 79% of the total cost of local government. In order to measure changes in the cost of local government, the Index has developed a database
that provides a nine-year history of local government expenditures and revenues for Long Island, and comparable figures for local governments and school districts in the rest of New York state (excluding New York City). By tracking changes going forward from this baseline information, Long Islanders will be able to determine whether or not efforts to reduce the cost of local government are effective.

A Tale of Two Suburbs Case Study

A Tale of Two Suburbs is a three-part case study comparing Long Island and Northern Virginia. 

According to the Long Island Index 84% of Long Islanders believe that high taxes are an “extremely” or “very serious” problem and a near majority (45%) cite it as the major local problem. With an eye to finding out how other regions address the issue of local taxes, the Long Island Index compared Long Island to several peer suburban regions and found one stood out in stark contrast to ours. Northern Virginia (including Fairfax County, Loudoun County, Fairfax City and the city of Falls Church) has significantly lower per capita property taxes than Long Island and a dramatically different governance model with 17 governmental entities delivering the full range of services on a county-wide basis compared to Long Island’s 439 governmental entities delivering similar services.

At the Breaking Point: Taxation and Governance on Long Island

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This survey, commissioned by the Rauch Foundation, focuses on the central dilemma facing Long Island: how do we continue to provide the quality of services expected by local residents while holding the line on taxes?

Government Expenditures and Revenues on Long Island

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Ask most anyone on Long Island and they’ll tell you: the trouble with taxes is they are too high.  But vital issues concerning taxes go far beyond the pain of the individuals who must pay them.

These issues are far-reaching and interconnected.  Taxes that are too high encourage the flight of human talent and businesses to less costly areas, with potentially devastating effects on a region’s competitiveness.  Yet taxes can be too low.  A region that lacks the revenues to provide excellent schools and other services may suffer the same kind of exodus.

Long Island faces challenges on both counts.  But we are not alone.  We share these challenges with regions across the county.  This report examines data about what we are paying, and what we are getting for it, and considers a variety of approaches that are being studied – and in some cases implemented – to address these challenges.