Request City Financial Records and Reports - The Bronx

Taxation and Finance New York 3 Minutes Read · published February 06, 2026 Flag of New York

Residents of The Bronx, New York can request municipal financial records and annual reports directly from city offices that publish or hold fiscal statements, budgets, and audit reports. Start with the City Comptroller for the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report and the Mayor’s Office of Management and Budget for budget and plan publications; use the City OpenRecords portal to submit requests or appeals online.Comprehensive Annual Financial Report[1]

What records are available

The most commonly requested documents are the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR), the Citywide Financial Plan, budget books, independent audit reports, and department-level expenditure and revenue records. Borough-level summaries may appear inside citywide publications but most authoritative financial statements are published at the city level.

Most official annual financial reports are published online by the City Comptroller and OMB.

Penalties & Enforcement

Requests for municipal financial records are handled under the City’s open-records process and applicable state law as implemented by city agencies. If an agency fails to comply or to provide requested records, remedies and enforcement routes vary by office.

  • Response time: see each agency’s Open Records guidance; use the City OpenRecords portal to submit and track requests.NYC OpenRecords[3]
  • Enforcer: the agency holding the records (for citywide finance documents, the NYC Comptroller and OMB coordinate publication and release).
  • Fines and penalties: not specified on the cited pages for municipal record requests; consult the agency appeal process for remedies or court review.
  • Non-monetary sanctions and remedies: administrative orders to release records, internal appeals, and judicial review (where available) — exact procedures depend on the agency and the statute applied.
  • Inspection and complaint pathways: file a request or an appeal through the City OpenRecords portal or contact the agency FOIL/Open Records officer directly.
If a required procedure or penalty amount is not listed on an agency page, it is not specified on the cited page.

Applications & Forms

There is generally no special paper form required for requesting city financial records: submit a request through the City OpenRecords portal or follow the agency-specific Open Records instructions. For published annual reports and budgets, consult the Mayor’s Office of Management and Budget publications page for downloadable PDFs.OMB publications[2]

How to prepare your request

  • Be specific: include fiscal year, department name, document title, and date range.
  • Identify formats: state whether you want electronic copies or the ability to inspect originals.
  • Provide contact details and preferred delivery method to speed processing.
Clear, narrowly tailored requests reduce processing time and the chance of a broad denial.

FAQ

How do I request the City of New York Comprehensive Annual Financial Report?
Download it directly from the Comptroller’s reports page or request copies via the City OpenRecords portal.Comprehensive Annual Financial Report[1]
How long will it take to get a response?
Response timelines depend on the agency and the nature of the request; use the City OpenRecords portal to track status and appeals.NYC OpenRecords[3]
Is there a fee to obtain municipal financial records?
Fees for copying or extensive searches are set by agencies; check the agency’s Open Records fee schedule or the OMB/Comptroller publications pages for guidance.OMB publications[2]

How-To

  1. Identify the exact document(s) you need (e.g., CAFR, budget book, audit) and the fiscal year.
  2. Prepare a concise request with department, title, and date range; include contact and format preferences.
  3. Submit the request through the City OpenRecords portal or the agency’s Open Records page.
  4. If you receive a denial or no timely response, use the agency appeal process and retain evidence of your submission.
  5. For unresolved denials, consider judicial review as provided by applicable law or consult the agency’s guidance for next steps.

Key Takeaways

  • Start with the Comptroller and OMB publications for authoritative city financial statements.
  • Use the City OpenRecords portal to submit and track requests and appeals.

Help and Support / Resources

  1. [1] City Comptroller — Comprehensive Annual Financial Report
  2. [2] Mayor’s Office of Management and Budget — Publications
  3. [3] NYC OpenRecords portal

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