As the biggest city in America, New York City has a big share of critical needs, including the need for an appropriate big budget to keep the Big Apple running and sustain the personnel to run it.
It’s the reason the story sweeping the headlines this week was Monday’s City Council’s blasting of Mayor Eric Adams’s unpopular proposed cuts to a projected budget gap. Those cuts would impact lifestyle essentials, ranging from reduced staffing at the city’s firehouses and the NYPD headcount of 29,000 to the elimination of composting programs, Sunday closing of public libraries, and delays in the development of a mental health response program to 5% cuts to the New York City Parks & Recreation which accounts for less than 1% of the City’s budget; senior citizens centers, pre-schools and more. It’s also reported that sanitation and public safety may face additional reductions in the next round of budget cuts.
The Administration contends that the city’s financial situation is due to migrants and asylum seekers. Not so, City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams (no relation to the Mayor) said at the hearing where Office of Management and Budget Director Jacques Jiha was questioned on the cuts. “Many factors are contributing to the gaps of our city’s out-year budgets,” pointing to the city’s slow economic growth and the end of COVID-related funding.
She also emphasized solutions exist “to navigate the city’s budget problems,” adding, “The City is facing tough headwinds in the coming years that we must confront, but our approach must be surgical and strategic, prioritizing the investments that we need to safeguard New Yorkers. Cutting every agency’s budget indiscriminately will disproportionately impact everyday New Yorkers.”
NYC Public Advocate Jumanne Williams, agreed, stating, “It is completely untrue that we have to make these cuts right now.”
Mayor Adams’s annual November Financial Plan, released last month, called for 5% cuts to city agencies, which could happen again next year. Jiha welcomed alternatives to the mayor’s budget proposals to close the impending gaps and prevent cuts. “We don’t have a monopoly on wisdom.” Council members also pointed to economists’ forecast of an additional billion in revenues found by economists, but the Administration did not account for that.
The following day, Tuesday, during the mayor’s weekly in-person media availability, Jiha responded to a question regarding the found revenue. In a transcript provided by the Mayor’s office, Mr. Jiha said, “Assuming the Council is right, (there’s) still $5.5 billion worth of gap that we still have to close … in 36 days. I’m hoping that they’re right; we could get these additional revenues, but revenue itself cannot solve this problem. (It) won’t be enough to help us close the gap.”
As we go to press this Wednesday afternoon, POLITICO is reporting that DC 37, the City’s largest public-sector union, is suing Mayor Adams “over looming budget cuts.” (Bernice Elizabeth Green)