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New York City Comptroller, Mark D. Levine, joins the 24th Annual Earth & Water Day Concert in Times Square on April 22, 2026

Austin Tang — Tue, 28 Apr 2026 18:29:09 +0000

This week we celebrated Earth Day, an annual reminder that protecting our planet is not just an environmental challenge, it is fundamental to the future of our city. Everything we do will be impacted by the rising costs of extreme weather and our response to it.

This week my office released a series of reports, each designed to help us strengthen the physical systems and infrastructure that keep our city green – like trees.

Listen to “New York City Comptroller Mark Levine” on Spreaker.On Tuesday, the Parks Department announced a laudable goal to increase natural street and parks coverings to 30% of the City by 2040. But while tree planting has been funded through capital budget initiatives, maintenance and upkeep is an operational cost that has not kept pace. Compounding the issue is the lack of a dedicated funding stream specifically for tree maintenance.

In a new report, New York City’s Living Infrastructure, my office outlined ways for the City to realize its plan to expand tree canopies in the five boroughs, including generating more revenue from Parks Department concessions to fund their care.

We also have opportunities to improve our organics waste management, particularly in schools. The Zero Waste Schools Program was launched in 2016 with the goal of diverting all recyclable and compostable waste that our schools produce. What started as a pilot of 100 schools has grown to include all schools, which are now all required to separate compostable waste from regular garbage.

But while every school participates, a new review by my office has found that only about one-third of waste is currently collected and diverted from landfills.

Additionally, our analysis found that 28% of compost bins were contaminated — meaning they included materials unsuitable for composting, such as paper and plastics — far exceeding the City’s overall organics contamination rate of 4%.

Providing nearly a million meals to New York City public school students every day is a massive and often underappreciated undertaking by city government. The scale of that effort makes it even more important to get food waste right. With a more centralized approach to data collection, program assessment, and communication, we can cut emissions, strengthen sustainability efforts in our schools, and save money in the school food budget.

Above all else, if we’re serious about managing the clear and present threat of the climate crisis, we need clear metrics to inform the work ahead.

Our Office’s Climate Dashboard was updated this week with the latest tracking of the City’s progress towards reaching NetZero, electric vehicle adoption, green job creation, building emissions, and other risk factors.

As Comptroller, I will continue to advance a disciplined, data driven approach to climate risk and opportunities, one that protects the pensions systems, strengthens infrastructure, and ensures New York City remains resilient and competitive for generations to come.Sincerely,

Mark D. Levine
New York City Comptroller

#MarkLevine #DrJaneGoodall

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Charles Bruce Foundation, Times Square Alliance open our historic concert and broadcast

Austin Tang — Mon, 27 Apr 2026 20:29:58 +0000

Listen to “Charles Bruce Foundation, Times Square Alliance open our historic concert and broadcast” on Spreaker.

#CharlesBruceFoundation #CharlesBruce #TimesSquareAlliance #TimesSquare #NYC

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Tom Harris, Times Square Alliance open our historic concert and broadcast

Austin Tang — Mon, 27 Apr 2026 20:12:20 +0000

Listen to “Tom Harris, Times Square Alliance open our historic concert and broadcast” on Spreaker.

Shout out to Mark Levine and Partners. 436 into piece

#TomHarris #TimesSquareAlliance #TimesSquare #NYC

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NOT GREAT GOOD NEWS FOR NEW YORK CITY FINANCES, SHARED BY COMPTROLLER MARK LEVINE…LET’S DO OUR PART!

Austin Tang — Fri, 13 Feb 2026 14:20:37 +0000

New York by the Numbers
Monthly Economic and Fiscal Outlook

No. 110 – February 2026

READ MORE

A Message from the Comptroller

Budget season is in full swing and I just returned from Albany where I testified about the state of the City’s finances, the significant challenges we currently face, and the urgent need for greater investment in New York City through State funding.

As you’ve likely heard, the City faces a multi-billion-dollar budget gap in the next two years.

It’s not all doom and gloom, however; revenue is high and revised tax receipts are up this year. Still, New York remains a city of contradictions.

The stock market is at an all-time high — the Dow above 50,000 for the first time ever — yet nearly 90,000 New Yorkers slept in our shelters last night.

New York City is home to more billionaires than any other city in the world. And yet nearly one in four New Yorkers live in poverty. That’s 2 million people, including 420,000 children.

And this month’s New York by the Numbers, our monthly economic snapshot, reflects that disconnect.

While New York City’s office market has continued its steady and robust rebound in early 2026, job growth remains stagnant, with weekly jobless claims creeping upward in January and persistent hiring challenges for recent graduates which could further hamper future job growth.

Rents continue to soar, which means shelter costs and the City’s contribution to rent subsidy programs are also rising. At the same time, New York City remains a preeminent destination with tourism numbers coming in stronger than last January and higher consumer confidence than the rest of the country.

These contradictions are also evident in the City’s budget. With a fiscal gap not seen since the Great Recession, all options are on the table and a stronger partnership with Albany will be essential — after all, New York City sends far more money to the state than we receive in return; by one recent estimate, more than $20 billion.

If we act now with clarity, urgency, and a real partnership with Albany, we can create a more resilient fiscal foundation, steel ourselves for the uncertainty ahead, and be a city and state that leaves no one behind.

As always, we will continue to track these trends closely and share clear, data-driven insights to help New Yorkers understand what’s happening in our economy, and what it means for the City’s future.

Sincerely,

New York City Comptroller Mark D. Levine

The U.S. Economy

New York City Economy

City Finances

Highlights

The U.S. unemployment rate, which had reached a 4-year high in December, receded slightly in January, and private-sector employment notched its largest monthly gain in just over a year (+172K). However, job creation during 2024 and 2025 was revised down substantially.
In NYC, both initial weekly jobless claims and continuing claims, which had remained fairly subdued up until mid-January, have risen in recent weeks—likely driven by the nurses’ strike and harsh weather.
Consumer confidence fell nationwide for the sixth straight month in January; in New York State, confidence retreated from its highest level of the year, but it remained above the U.S. average.
Regional business sentiment improved somewhat in January but is still at tepid levels, based on the New York Fed’s surveys of manufacturers and service firms.
While the nationwide office market has struggled to recover, New York City’s market has continued its steady and fairly robust rebound in early 2026.
Tourism in New York City registered a bit less of a seasonal slowdown in January than usual, as both hotel occupancy and Broadway attendance were up noticeably from a year earlier.
Over the past 12 months, the average asylum seeker shelter census decreased by 38%, while the non-asylum-seeking population declined by 2%.
As of the end of January, the City’s total full-time staffing headcount was 292,483, compared to 305,777 authorized positions in the FY 2026 November Financial Plan, resulting in a vacancy rate of 4.3%.
Total tax revenue collected over the first half of this Fiscal Year (through December 2025) has risen by 6.8% ($3.15 billion) over a year earlier, led by strong growth in Personal Income Taxes & PTET.
As of February 2nd, the cash balance stood at $9.04 billion, down from $13.52 billion at the same time last year.

View the February Newsletter

In Case You Missed It

Over the past month, the Comptroller’s Office released the following announcements on the state of NYC’s economy and finances:

Office of the New York City Comptroller
Office of New York City Comptroller Mark D. Levine
1 Centre Street
New York, NY 10007
United States

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SPARTAN Mark R. Moore, CEO, Spartan Cafe | CEO, Spartan Growth Labs Business Strategist | Author | Financial Architect

Austin Tang — Mon, 26 Jan 2026 20:01:25 +0000

Listen to “SPARTAN Mark R. Moore, CEO, Spartan Cafe | CEO, Spartan Growth Labs Business Strategist | Author | Financial Architect” on Spreaker.

Mark R. Moore

Founder & CEO, Spartan Café, LLC

917 251-6605 | team@spartan-cafe.com

Rockefeller Center
1270 6th Avenue
7th Floor
New York, NY 10020

https://spartan-cafe.com/

Mark R. Moore is a visionary executive and business development expert with over three decades of experience architecting success across commercial, non-profit, and interdisciplinary landscapes. A versatile leader with a 10th-degree black belt level of discipline in both martial arts and market expansion, Mr. Moore is currently redefining the digital and financial horizons for entrepreneurs as the CEO of both Spartan Cafe and Spartan Growth Labs.

Pioneering The Spartan Ecosystem
Mr. Moore stands at the forefront of digital innovation as the founder of Spartan Cafe, a revolutionary platform recognized as The World’s First Hybrid Social Media + Private Members Club. This groundbreaking concept disrupts the traditional digital landscape by merging the connectivity of social networking with the exclusivity and high-value networking of a private members club, creating a unique ecosystem for collaboration and growth. Simultaneously, through Spartan Growth Labs, Mr. Moore provides the financial fuel for that
growth. He spearheads the transformative Business Credit Builder & Advisory Suite, a cutting-edge financial engine designed to elevate businesses from inception to prosperity. This suite is not merely a tool; it is a comprehensive ecosystem that demystifies corporate finance. The suite features an intuitive, customized platform that guides entrepreneurs through a step- by-step credit building process. A key differentiator of this program is its Real-Time Pre-Qualification Intelligence, allowing clients to see exactly which lending sources they are pre-approved for before applying—eliminating rejection and uncertainty. Backed by a concierge team of finance officers, the suite ensures clients secure capital through a vast array of instruments, including Credit Line Hybrids, SBA Loans, Commercial Real Estate Financing, and Securities-Based Lines of Credit.
Strategic Alliances & Capital Generation Mr. Moore’s financial acumen is backed by strategic alliances with over 100 premier funding institutions, including Chase, Wells Fargo, Citibank, and Capital One. Over a nine-year period, he successfully raised over $100 million for major entities including Nike, Adidas, and CUNY College’s athletic program.

His expertise lies in high-level corporate enlistment, venture capital raising, and structuring complex financial instruments. Whether navigating 401k Plan Financing or securing Purchase Order Financing, Mr. Moore provides the “capital confidence” necessary for businesses to scale.

Author & Thought Leader
A recognized voice in business psychology and branding, Mr. Moore is the author of the breakthrough book, 15 Reasons Why It’s Taken You So Long to Succeed. In this guide, he dissects the barriers to achievement and offers a blueprint for personal and professional breakthroughs.

His authority in the branding space is further solidified by his contribution of the forward to Publicity Jumpstart: How to Get Your Brand Featured in the Press, where he lends his insight into the mechanics of visibility and media presence.
Diverse Media & Management Experience Mr. Moore’s career is defined by versatility. He has held executive roles such as Managing Director for B2B GlobalFashionCloseOuts, Inc. and Managing Partner of Distinction Management LLC. His aesthetic sensitivity and management skills have led to successful
collaborations with global brands and media properties, including Sex and the City, Law and Order, E-Entertainment TV, Nike Basketball, and Hearst Magazines International. He has worked closely with high-profile personalities such as Sarah Jessica Parker, Cynthia Nixon, and Geraldo Rivera.

Discipline, Community & Honors Beyond the boardroom, Mr. Moore embodies the spirit of a true competitor. He is the founder of the Shojitsute Martial Arts system and holds the rare distinction of a 10th Degree Black Belt.
Additionally, as a former nationally-ranked Squash Professional (ranked 3rd in the nation), he utilizes the sport’s prestigious network to facilitate high-level corporate introductions and informal diplomacy.A dedicated philanthropist, Mr. Moore serves his community through partnerships with Mount Sinai Hospital and St. Luke’s Hospital, offering workshops on Rape Prevention and Self-Defense. He works in conjunction with the Small Business Administration (SBA) to develop micro-loan and grant opportunities for minority startups.

His contributions to the business world have been formally recognized with a Congressional Medal of Distinction from the National Republican Congressional Committee’s Business Advisory Council, where he also served as Honorary Chairman. He was named Businessman of the Year in 2006 and nominated for the Martial Arts Hall of Fame in 2007. Mr. Moore currently resides in New York, where he continues to bridge the gap between creative vision and bottom-line success.

#Spartan-Cafe #MarkRMoore

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