Statement From NYC Comptroller Brad Lander on Mayor Adams’ FY 24 Preliminary Budget

 

City Comptroller Brad Lander issued the following statement in response to Mayor Eric Adams’ Fiscal Year 2024 preliminary budget proposal:

“As we strive for an inclusive economic recovery, the Fiscal Year 2024 budget offers an opportunity to invest wisely in a shared and thriving future for New Yorkers. That’s why the Mayor and the Governor brought together a set of civic leaders who laid out a vision for a ‘New New York.’ Yet, rather than making investments upstream as that plan envisioned, this budget meanders with little direction.

“Last year’s record deposit into the City’s long-term reserves will buoy services in a downturn, but we do not yet have enough reserves to navigate us through a recession. Key areas remain under budgeted, including police overtime, housing vouchers, and likely increases in labor costs, which will swell already-projected out-year budget gaps. The Mayor appropriately asked agencies to find savings opportunities, yet sweeping cuts to vacant positions may come at the cost of hiring in mission-critical functions. Responsible budgeting for NYC’s future does not mean cutting services that New Yorkers rely on.

“Some of the long-term investments that we need to make that ‘New New York’ a place where people of all backgrounds and incomes can succeed will require additional revenue. Making free 3K universal, ending homelessness, improving community safety, shrinking class sizes, constructing climate-resilient infrastructure, expanding rental assistance, funding retrofits to affordable housing, sustaining world-class public libraries, and keeping CUNY an affordable pipeline for new talent is the path to making sure New York City remains the best city in the world to raise a family or start a new business.  I urge the Mayor to join us in conversation with our partners in Albany to enable the City of New York to raise the revenues we need to deliver on our shared goals for a dynamic, affordable, and successful Big Apple.

“One area where I wholeheartedly join the Mayor is in calling on the state and federal governments to take on their share of the cost for the services and shelter for newly arrived asylum seekers – something they both have failed to do thus far. This city has long been a beacon of hope for immigrant families and has prospered from their contributions, but we need state and federal aid to help them land on their feet.

“To confront both the economic uncertainty and inequality facing our city, New York City needs a budget that provides both a strong cushion to weather future blows and one that sets us up for long-term growth. My office looks forward to reviewing the preliminary budget proposal in full and sharing detailed analysis with the Administration, the City Council, and the public in the coming weeks.”