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‘A moral manifest’: NYC Council calls for more discounted subway fares in budget counterproposal
By
Giulia Heyward
Published Apr 3, 2023
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Elizabeth Kim/Gothamist
By
Giulia Heyward
Published Apr 3, 2023
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The New York City Council on Monday released its official response to Mayor Eric Adams’ preliminary budget, requesting at least $2.7 billion more be added to Mayor Eric Adams’ $102.7 billion budget plan.
“More than simply an itemized list of income and expenditures, a budget is a moral manifestation,” Councilmember Justin Brannan, a Brooklyn Democrat who chairs the finance committee, said at a press conference on Monday. “That’s why we believe sound fiscal stewardship means focusing budget priorities where they matter most.”
Among its top priorities is a proposal to expand reduced subway fare prices to more low-income residents. The city wants the reduced fares to be available to those “with incomes up to 200 percent of” the federal poverty line, which equates to $60,000 for a family of four. The Council also called for greater street infrastructure and the creation of fire safety outreach and battery swap programs.
The Council said that the city already has these funds available for the upcoming fiscal year. There is roughly $5.2 billion available, according to the city’s revenue projections. After allocating some of this money toward labor settlements, the Council is proposing that a portion of this remaining money — approximately $2.7 billion — be allotted to other city services.
“Failing to adequately invest in our city and New Yorkers, at a time where we’re facing so many crises, also carries immense risks,” Speaker Adrienne Adams said.“They could result in families going hungry, worsening mental health and housing crises, and other far reaching consequences that impact our economy, health and safety.”
In its 56-page statement, the Council outlined a range of uses for the extra $2.7 billion, which officials also discussed at the press conference. This includes:
- Roughly $318 million toward affordable housing and financial support for renters, homeowners and those living in the New York City Housing Authority, its public housing program. The Council also called for replenishing the vacant unit readiness program, which the mayor previously cut in November.
- $474.3 million toward supporting an array of social services, including free legal representation for residents facing eviction right to counsel and public defenders and restoring funding to libraries, cultural institutions and parks, as well as food assistance programs.
- $117 million toward community-based violence prevention programs, trauma recovery centers and other mental and physical resources for crisis situations. The Council also demanded the presence of a reproductive health psychologist in every NYC Health + Hospital in the city.
- Additional funding toward educational resources, including pay parity to early childhood learning providers, arts education and community schools.
The Council’s response comes more than two months after the mayor originally released a $102.7 billion spending plan for the following year. Citing a shaky economy and the city’s ongoing migrant crisis, the mayor called for a spending plan with a 2% increase from the previous year.
Following a month-long series of budget hearings, the Council pushed back against the mayor’s proposed cuts, asking for more funds to account for the sticker shock of responding to asylum-seekers and economic uncertainty. The Council also called for replenishing funding to schools, libraries and other social programs that the mayor previously rolled back funding for.
In a statement to Gothamist, the mayor’s office defended its “prudent fiscal planning to ensure that we are spending within our means.”
“The City Council’s failure to account for $4.2 billion in related asylum-seeker costs or potential state cuts is unrealistic and does not properly recognize the city’s current and upcoming fiscal challenges,” Jonah Allon, a spokesperson for the mayor’s office, said.
With the Council having released its budget analysis, the mayor will have several weeks to decide what recommendations – if any – he wants to include in a draft of the finalized budget, known as the Executive Budget. Once the Council receives this draft, it will then hold multiple hearings with the finance committee. It’ll eventually lead to an agreed-upon budget for the upcoming fiscal year.
“Everything in this budget response is something that the Council believes is worth fighting for,” Brannan said.
Tagged
budget
council
Politics
eric adams
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Giulia Heyward
Giulia Heyward is a breaking news reporter on the Day-Of desk. She previously worked at NPR, as a breaking news reporter, and the New York Times, as a reporting fellow on the national desk. Her work has also appeared in CNN, The Atlantic and Politico. Got a tip? Email [email protected] or more securely on signal at 917-715-1458.
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