Mayor de Blasio delivers testimony on the NYS Executive Budget

Moses Kuwema

Mayor Bill de Blasio on Thursday spoke out against cuts to schools and public health during a pandemic and pushed for direct aid to small businesses, investments in working New Yorkers and taxing the wealthy.

Speaking when he delivered testimony on the New York State Executive Budget before the Joint Fiscal Committees of the New York State Legislature, Mayor de Blasio said the COVID-19 pandemic has had a massive impact on the city’s budget as it suffered a $10.5 billion drop in its tax revenue over Fiscal Years 20 through 22.

“In order to save lives, protect our City, and get our kids back to school, our City has spent $6.1 billion on COVID-19 related expenses. As much as $685 million of that may not be covered by federal reimbursement. And the federal government has so far failed to pass a real stimulus package with direct local aid,” Mayor de Blasio said. “Our City made it through the past year thanks to sound fiscal management achieving a total of $2.2 billion in savings over Fiscal Years 2021 and 2022, including $1.3 billion in Program to Eliminate the Gap, or PEG, savings. And we have instituted strong hiring and attrition management and implemented furloughs. Now, New York City needs your help in standing up against painful cuts in the State Executive Budget.”

Mayor de Blasio said the State Executive Budget proposes cuts and cost shifts to NYC of $310 million in Fiscal Year 21 and $309 million in Fiscal Year 22.

He said in addition to that, the Executive Budget proposes cuts to public health and supplants $800 million in federal education funding owed to the City.

Mayor de Blasio said additionally, the Executive Budget proposal assumes $6 billion in federal stimulus aid – meaning the city will face additional cuts if Washington does not come through.

“Regardless of what happens in Washington, calling on working New Yorkers to forgo essential services is wrong. Let me break down the main areas of this Budget’s impact on New Yorkers in need. New York City students, families and educators have endured a year of emotional and academic challenges,” he said. “The federal government recognized the challenges our schools faced and gave the State funding for schools. Last year, the State supplanted over $700 million in education aid. And now, the State is proposing to supplant again – taking almost $800 million in funds away from our students.”

Mayor de Blasio said the city needed the funds to help keep its schools open and restore critical programs.

“We could increase Fair Student Funding levels for schools; give all 1,600 schools the academic intervention and remedial services they need to close the achievement gap; and restore arts, AP and algebra classes,” he said. “On top of the supplanted dollars, the proposed Budget shifts mandated charter school costs to NYC: $179 million in Fiscal Year 21 and $100 million in Fiscal Year 22.”

Mayor de Blasio requested reimbursement for $92 million in school bus costs that went to support bus drivers.

Mayor de Blasio said even as the city’s healthcare heroes are still struggling to make sure New Yorkers are taken care of, the Executive Budget proposes cuts to Health + Hospitals totaling $139 million in Fiscal Year 21 and $334 million in Fiscal Year 22.

He said that would mean closing 19 H+H clinics, which treat 140,000 patients a year and losing 900 doctors and nurses, resulting in longer wait times for patients.

Mayor de Blasio said the Executive Budget proposes to cut further public health infrastructure by $51 million in Fiscal Year 22, slashing programs like Nurse Family Partnership that supports new mothers.

He said the Budget also proposes to cut $28 million in Fiscal Year 21 and $43 million in Fiscal Year 22 in support for substance abuse and domestic violence services, resources for youth in foster care, and protection for our seniors.

“We can’t let our most vulnerable be victims of austerity. Instead of cuts, we must tax the wealthy. This recovery must be built from the grassroots up. By making the wealthy pay their fair share, we can avoid these cuts to our schools, health care and social safety net – and get our City back on the road to a recovery for all of us,” Mayor de Blasio said.

Mayor de Blasio said the Executive Budget also contains proposals that seek to usurp the City’s local authority and silence community input.

“We strongly oppose doing away with City zoning regulations and the land use process to allow the conversion of commercial property and hotels to housing. This crisis is not an excuse to overturn the will of struggling communities and give away local control to wealthy real estate interests. We do not support the proposal to give Javits Convention Center Operating Corporation discretion to override City building codes and City code enforcement,” he said. “We oppose the Executive Budget proposals that would allow the MTA to override DOT issued permits and to direct the City to relocate DOT and DEP infrastructure. This would delay ADA street improvements and disrupt flood protection projects in frontline communities.”

Mayor de Blasio also said the city was firmly opposed to the new proposal in the Executive Budget to weaken the City’s Local Law 97, landmark legislation to reduce carbon emissions from buildings.

“Climate change is already threatening our City, and New York City is in the vanguard of drawing down emissions and building up a green economy. We cannot afford to take a single step backwards. From the start, our Administration has been committed to pushing forward comprehensive police reforms and strengthening the bonds of communities and police,” he said. “These bonds improved the quality of life in so many of our neighborhoods, with safer streets and fewer injustices. We have historic reforms underway: first-ever disciplinary matrix, doubling Cure Violence, and communities having a role in their choice of Precinct Commanders. But a budget that threatens to withhold funding and impose outside monitors and additional bureaucracy will only slow us down.”

Mayor de Blasio urged the Senate to go further by creating a new tenant right to request a payment plan for arrears and affording affirmative defense to tenants in court.

He further requested the senate to enact the Housing Stability Support initiative to provide rental assistance to those at risk of eviction. “I am pleased to see legalization of adult recreational cannabis. It is critical the final legislation ensures economic empowerment for communities that suffered the most from unjust enforcement in the past. And I urge you to ensure localities are able to make decisions about density, siting, and public safety,” said Mayor de Blasio.