This page uses Javascript to display content and function properly. Your Internet browser may not support Javascript, or it may be configured to disable scripts. To view and use this page as it is intended, please use another browser, or enable scripts on your current browser.

Skip to main content
Office of the New York State Comptroller seal
Home Local Government Required Reporting AFR Non-Filers

Annual Financial Report (AFR) Non-Filers

When local governments fail to file their AFRs, taxpayers are left in the dark.

Yet, hundreds of municipalities didn't file this year, and the number of non-filers has increased significantly since 2018.

Least transparent are persistent non-filers who haven't submitted financial data for three or more years.
2024 Non-Filers
Non-Filers as a Percentage of Each Type of Local Government

Annual Financial Reports (AFR): Why do they matter?

AFR Graphic - Transparency, Accountability, Oversight

Each year, the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of every county, city, town, village and fire district is required to report information on their finances to the New York State Comptroller's Office. This AFR captures the local government's revenues and expenditures for the year as well as its cash reserves, fund balance, and outstanding debt at the end of the period. OSC makes the data available to the public on its website.

The AFR data informs local officials, residents, other taxpayers, and State policymakers alike about the financial condition of New York's local governments. OSC's Fiscal Stress Monitoring System uses AFR data to provide an early alert to local government officials to any budgetary issues they may face.

As OSC audits have found, lack of reporting is often an indicator of poor record-keeping and other troubling financial practices, especially when the problem persists for multiple years. In these situations, fiscal difficulties may go unnoticed and unaddressed far longer, and remedies may be correspondingly more drastic once they are caught.

OSC can help

Want to improve your local government entity's transparency, accountability, and oversight? Visit our AFR Homepage for manuals, training videos and more. Or find direct links to these resources below: