New York City officials touted a $107 billion budget agreement even as it faced a $1.4 billion hole for sheltering tens of thousands of migrants.
The spending plan, announced Thursday, restores funds to the city’s library systems, boosts educational social services programs and gives a shot in the arm to the sanitation department amid a new effort to clean up the boroughs.
“The agreement we reach today comes in the mist of budget cycles dominated by great challenges and unexpected crises, but I’m proud to say we have successfully navigated through these many cross currents to arrive at a strong and fiscally responsible budget that uplifts everyday New Yorkers and their families,” Mayor Adams said at an afternoon City Hall press conference.
“Unlike the Yankees, it’s not a perfect game. But we got the win for working class new jobs,” Adams said.
The fiscal year 2024 agreement came a day ahead of a Friday midnight deadline as the city’s coffers were buoyed by a near record $8.8 billion in reserves.
Hizzoner said the city had saved $4.7 billion saved over the past two fiscal years “without cutting services, laying off employees or raising taxes” due to higher-than-expected revenues.
However, the city also spent $1.4 billion on housing asylum seekers bussed here from the southern border, a crisis that Adams warned would swell to up to $4.4 billion.
Nearly 50,000 migrants were in the care of the city last week as the system burst at its seams.
Those funds could have been used to improve services for city residents, Adams said while renewing his call for Uncle Sam to reimburse the city for its role in easing the national crisis.
“This comes out of New Yorker’s [pockets] and we are not getting the help we deserve and this is really wrong for asylum seekers,” Adams said.
“They only ask one thing: ‘let us work.’ They say, ‘we want to work. We want to pay into your tax base. We don’t want your free food. We don’t want your free clothing. We don’t want you washing our clothing. We want to work,'” he continued.
Highlights of the spending plan include the restoration of $36 million that was cut from the city’s three library systems and $40 million allocated to cultural institutions.
Nearly $37 million will be spend on expanding supervised release services and a new program to help prevent criminals from relapsing upon release from jail.
Some $195 million was allocated to right-to-counsel providers and public defenders as the mayor continued the city’s focused on criminal justice reform.
The sanitation department got a $10 million boost to clean the city’s highways and $22 million to increase the frequency of public trash can pick ups, while almost $3 million was spent on gun safety initiatives.
Human services providers got a $40 million boost for workplace enhancement while 5,000 slots were added to the city’s summer youth employment program, to the tune of $23 million.
CUNY programs received about $20 million in the budget, which also spent $16 million on child care for New Yorkers in the country illegally.
“This is a city of compassion. We remain determined to help most vulnerable New Yorkers among us, especially those experiencing both homelessness and mental health issues,” the mayor said.
“Our efforts are highly and are already helping people turn their lives around, and this budget ensures we have the resources to continue to get New Yorkers in crisis of the streets and into long term supportive care.”
City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams was introduced to a standing ovation from her caucus and her reservations about the deal with the mayor — to whom she is not related — was apparent from apparent from the start of the press conference, when she greeted him with an icy handshake.
“These negotiations were not easy and in fact they were uniquely challenging because of how much we focused on restoring cuts to so many important programs,” the Democratic lawmaker said.
“As the first women-majority council in our city’s history, we take very seriously our responsibility to shift the deeply ingrained dynamics of our city and society; those that have traditionally left women behind, women and communities of color has an afterthought.”
Hizzoner thanked the city’s top lawmaker for her comments and for lobbying in Washington for federal , while zinging his top moneyman, liberal Comptroller Brad Lander, a frequent target of the centrist Democrat’s ire.
I just want to personally thank you for going to Washington, [DC] to fight on behalf of the city. Whatever we need to do to get Brad to go, I’ll even buy his ticket,” Adams said to a handful of shocked laughs.
“But he needs to understand that is his responsibility as well.”