“Protecting New York City’s fiscal health is a priority that must go hand-in-hand with ensuring New Yorkers’ health and safety is secured through investments in essential education, health, and social service programs. Early childhood education programs, such as Universal 3-K, are pivotal to the economic success of our city and must be a priority in which to invest. In the midst of housing and mental health crises, our financial plans should reflect the scale needed to solve our challenges, and it is not clear this one meets the moment. As imbalanced cuts are exacted on agencies New Yorkers rely upon, this plan entirely ignores approximately $1 billion in additional tax revenue received by the City and identified by the Council. That makes it perplexing to see the plan at the same time include $1 billion in federal funding that has not yet been secured. Our city has welcomed and sought to assist a large population of people seeking asylum, spending city funds on an emergency basis. We echo the Administration’s call for the federal government to support New York City’s contribution to confronting this national immigration issue, while also reiterating the demand for clarity and concrete information from the Administration on the costs associated with these expenditures. The Council will closely examine the assertions and assumptions outlined in the November Plan, engaging with city agency leaders, Administration officials, and key stakeholders outside of government. New York City is at a crucial moment to recover from the past several years, and we cannot afford short-sighted decisions that deny New Yorkers what they need for our city to succeed.”
No comments:
Post a Comment