New York City’s miscellaneous revenues, which include water and sewer charges, fines, licenses, permits, interest income, rental income, and other non-tax sources, reached an estimated $6.7 billion in fiscal year 2025. This figure is 11% higher than the amount collected in fiscal year 2019 but represents slower growth compared to the 29% increase seen over the previous six years. The findings were detailed in a report released by State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli.
“The pandemic significantly disrupted how New York City generates revenue for items such as construction permits, community college fees and taxi licenses, some of which have yet to return to pre-pandemic levels,” DiNapoli said. “A number of miscellaneous revenues that have recently boosted revenue, including interest income, may soften in the coming years. These shifts warrant further study of the city’s many fines, fees, and charges to understand their impact on revenue stability and resident affordability.”
Miscellaneous revenues are divided into recurring sources—such as water and sewer charges or fines—and one-time payments like asset sales or litigation settlements. In fiscal year 2025, these revenues made up about 8% of total city funds.
Between fiscal years 2019 and 2021, miscellaneous revenues dropped by nearly 14%. This decline was linked to reduced activity in areas like construction permits, park concessions, taxi licenses, parking meters, vehicle-related violations, and university enrollment due to work-from-home policies and an economic downturn.
Fines and forfeitures saw a decrease during this period: they fell by 2.7% from fiscal year 2019 to 2020 and then declined another 4% the following year. Vehicle-related fines played a significant role in this drop amid social distancing measures. However, by fiscal year 2025 fines and forfeitures are estimated to have grown by 27% compared to fiscal year 2019—driven largely by increased speed camera fines.
Charges for services—including tuition from City University of New York (CUNY) colleges—are expected to generate more than $1.04 billion in fiscal year 2025. Despite this overall sum, CUNY community college revenues declined nearly 17% between fiscal years 2019 and 2025—a trend tied to the effects of COVID-19.
Licenses, permits and franchises brought in about $730 million in fiscal year 2025. Franchises make up the largest share within this category but are expected to be down by about 4% compared with fiscal year 2019 as cable television franchise revenue decreased due to more consumers switching to internet streaming services.
Permits remain below pre-pandemic levels; they are estimated at a decline of about 13%, mainly because fewer construction permits were issued during periods when work on sites was limited. Licenses—which include taxi licenses—also dropped an estimated 14%, reflecting less travel during the pandemic period as well as ongoing restrictions on new For-Hire Vehicle licenses under Local Law 147 of 2018.
Water and sewer charges represent the largest portion of miscellaneous revenues for New York City; these grew by roughly half (50.7%) from fiscal year 2019 through fiscal year 2025—even rising during the pandemic itself.
The expansion of speed cameras contributed significantly to fine revenue growth after their installation across school zones beginning in fiscal year 2019. By fiscal year 2024—the most recent data available—the city issued approximately https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/VAT/1180-B#:~:text=In%20fiscal%20year%202024,%20the%20latest%20available%20year,%20the%20city%20issued%205.6%20million%20speeding%20tickets.%20(https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/VAT/1180-B)5.6 million speeding tickets in school zones (up from https://www.nyc.gov/assets/finance/downloads/pdf/reports/research/stats/speed_camera_violations_fy22.pdf4.7 million two years earlier), with anticipated speed camera fine collections reaching around $272 million for FY25.
Interest income generated an estimated $628 million for FY25—a recovery after dropping more than https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/FEDFUNDS90 percent early in the pandemic when federal interest rates were near zero—but surged again after rates rose starting in FY23.
Risks remain for future growth: construction permit activity has not returned fully—especially in Manhattan—and delays in permit processing could slow revenue further; community college enrollment is still recovering; while license and franchise fee recovery remains sluggish amid broader economic uncertainty.
DiNapoli emphasized that these trends call for continued analysis regarding how changes may affect both city finances and affordability for residents.
