New York City Council

05/22/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 05/22/2024 12:35

NYC Council Calls for Budget Restorations and Investments in Programs that Address New Yorkers’ Biggest Challenges at Final Executive Budget Hearing

Mayor's FY25 Executive Budget failed to adequately restore cuts and fund cultural institutions, early childhood education, housing, libraries, public schools, safety and mental health solutions, senior services, and more

City Hall, NY - At today's City Council's Executive Budget hearing held by the Committee on Finance, the Council continued to call for the restoration of cuts and investments into vital services for New Yorkers. These include cultural institutions and libraries that have faced repeated cuts over the current and next fiscal year, early childhood education and student support programs, housing, mental healthcare, programs that improve safety and reduce recidivism, parks, senior services, and more. Just the day before, the Council released its May 2024 Economic and Tax Revenue Forecast with consistent revenue projections that continue to outpace those of the Mayor's Office of Management and Budget (OMB) by $1.1 billion for Fiscal Years 2024 and 2025. The updated forecast provides clarity that the City can restore cuts to protect essential services and invest in the needs of New Yorkers.

"To support working families and create a safer, healthier, and more equitable city, our city's budget must protect essential services that New Yorkers depend on to succeed," said Speaker Adrienne Adams. "The Council has championed investments in early childhood education and educational programs, affordable housing, proven mental health solutions, programs to reduce recidivism, cultural institutions, libraries, parks, senior services, and other critical resources that support our diverse communities. Throughout our Executive Budget hearings, we heard repeatedly from New Yorkers who testified that the Mayor's proposed budget fails to adequately invest in the programs they rely on. As we move forward in this year's budget process, the Council will continue to prioritize what our communities and all New Yorkers need to thrive."

"If there's one takeaway from our citywide budget priorities this year, it's this: our Council believes deeply that, using the resources we take in, our city can and should be a force for good," said Council Member Justin Brannan, Chair of the Committee on Finance. "No number of unnecessary threats of budget cuts or artificially deflated economic forecasts can change our basic responsibility to keep our neighborhoods safe, our streets clean, and our people healthy and thriving. We have the resources and the ability to deliver some of the greatest municipal services in the world. I'm proud to stand with a Council that also has the will."

The Council's funding priorities that were outlined in its Preliminary Budget Response, but left out of the Mayor's Fiscal Year 2025 Executive Budget include:

###