Photo: Mayor de Blasio and City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito on Monday were greeted by raucous applause from councilmembers as they announced an agreement on the Fiscal Year 2016 budget. Courtesy of Demetrius Freeman/Mayoral Photography Office
More than a week ahead of the June 30 deadline, Mayor Bill de Blasio and the City Council on Monday announced that they reached a deal on a balanced 2016 budget.
The $78.5 billion plan adds more than 1,000 cops to city streets that have seen an uptick in gun violence, and calls for additional funds for the three public library systems, allowing them to return to across-the-board six-day service.
De Blasio administration has characterized this budget as the fruit of the administration’s “productive dynamic with the Council,” and one that “moves forward key initiatives to tackle income inequality and lift up families across the five boroughs, while protecting and strengthening” the long-term economic vitality of the city.
“We’re strengthening the NYPD’s ranks, devoting new officers to counter-terror work and neighborhood policing, while securing vital fiscal reforms in overtime and civilianization,” de Blasio said. “We are also making critical investments in our renewal schools, libraries, and so much more. Thank you to Speaker [Melissa] Mark-Viverito, [Finance Committee] Chair [Julissa] Ferreras-Copeland, and all of their colleagues in the Council for their partnership as we reached this agreement.”
A number crunch reveals several key budget initiatives, including $170 million to add 1,297 new uniformed officers to the Police Department, coupled with vital reforms in overtime and civilianization that portend to generate over $70 million in savings when fully phased-in. The budget also calls for $1.3 million to expand resources for the Special Narcotics Prosecutor to address drug-related violence, and $1.14 million to add 80 new school crossing guards.
The plan adds $39 million for universal six-day library service, extended hours, and other improvements; new investments in Renewal Schools, including $12.7 million for extended learning time, and $2.2 million for school-based health centers in Fiscal Year 2017; $17.9 million to phase-in breakfast in the classroom at 530 elementary schools, serving 339,000 students by FY2018; and $6.6 million for the Department of Education to hire 50 additional physical education teachers and conduct a comprehensive needs assessment to address barriers and move schools toward full physical education compliance.
The budget provides for $1.8 million to expand the Emergency Food Assistance Program to serve New Yorkers in need, according to the administration; $1.5 million in new staff and resources to meet de Blasio’s goal of ending veteran homelessness, and $335,000 to fund a team of Veterans Service Officers that will be deployed in communities throughout the five boroughs.
The plan directs $4.3 million to eliminate waitlists for the Department for the Aging’s homecare program, and $2 million to expand elder abuse prevention; $750,000—growing in the out years—to fund support services through the Seniors in Affordable Rental Apartments program; 30 percent of those units are set aside for homeless seniors.
Mark-Viverito noted how this year’s process was markedly different than previous, more contentious, negotiating periods.
“We put forward a response to the preliminary budget, which was taken into account seriously,” she said on Monday. “We saw $148 million added in the Executive Budget that was presented to us based on information and feedback we provided on our preliminary [budget]. So, this is a serious engagement that we’re in. Our process is being taken seriously by this administration, and factored into the Executive Budget. And since the Executive, there’s been additional negotiations on issues where we maybe have had different points of views. But again, we’ve arrived at a point of agreement. And, again, it’s definitely not the budget dance as we’ve seen in prior iterations.”
By Michael V. Cusenza
michael@theforumnewsgroup.com
