Speaker Johnson, Finance Chair Dromm and Capital Budget Subcommittee Chair Gibson Outline Steps to Protect and Strengthen the City’s Social Safety Net Amid COVID-19 in Council’s Budget Response

  Council Speaker Corey Johnson, Council Finance Committee Chair Daniel Dromm, Capital Budget Subcommittee Chair Vanessa Gibson and the City Council released today the Council’s response to the Mayor’s Fiscal 2021 Preliminary Budget. The Preliminary Budget was released in January – three months ago when the city was a drastically different place. The impact of COVID-19 on our economy has been much like the effect of the virus itself – sudden and with a quick decline.

As a result, the Preliminary Financial Plan no longer seems an appropriate starting point for the assessment of where the City’s budget should end up by the end of the fiscal year. The priorities of our government and our budget clearly have shifted drastically.

Therefore, the response to the Preliminary Budget that the Council offers this year contains our estimation of the components of the baseline budget that are essential and must be preserved even in the face of impending budget cuts. We recognize that revenues are decreasing because of severely reduced business activity, deferred tax collections, and a sharp drop in tourism. And we understand that a substantial amount of resources will be needed to combat the spread of coronavirus and to protect the health and safety of our people and the heroic essential workers. However, as we make the tough decisions about where to find savings and efficiencies, it is imperative that the basic social safety net programs remain untouched, and in some cases expanded with additional investments.

While this response by its nature focuses on the City’s budget, it is crucial that our City and State leadership continue to press the federal government for additional stimulus and recovery funding. The City’s ability to stabilize its economy, help the tens of thousands of newly unemployed or underemployed workers, provide loans to small businesses, and pay for the public health response to the virus hinges on federal assistance. 

As the City begins to recover from this crisis, we look forward to partnering with the Administration to discuss how funding will need to shift to restart the economy, revive youth programming, including the Summer Youth Employment Program, and address the continuing repercussions of the rise in unemployment.

The Council’s budget response includes recommendations to protect and increase support in seven key areas. Please read the response by following this link.

Highlights are:

Maintaining Public Health

The Council urges the Administration to continue to prioritize and maintain services that focus on the prevention and identification of infectious diseases; provide needed mental health supports; address health disparities in New York City’s communities of color that cause an excess burden of ill health and premature mortality, including obesity, diabetes, and maternal mortality; support the full range of health services; and conduct surveillance of environmental-related diseases. This crisis – and the disparities in communities that appear to be most impacted by this pandemic – has taught us that we must prioritize public health for the good of all of our City.

Addressing Food Insecurity

The Council calls on the Administration to invest at least $25 million in food pantries, expand all City feeding programs, and increase food allowances for all emergency housing programs. With the drop in employment, thousands more New Yorkers are food insecure.

Protecting the Senior Population

New York City is home to about 1.2 million New Yorkers over the age of 60, and before the coronavirus pandemic, many relied on the city for support. Amid this crisis, the Council calls on the Administration to ensure that every older adult who requests a meal receives one and to adequately fund the enhanced need for senior services.

Keeping New Yorkers Housed

The Council urges the Administration to fund a robust rental voucher program, move families out of shelters into vacant units, invest in homeless street solutions, and expand anti-eviction services, and preserve NYCHA’s affordable housing stock. At the start of this pandemic, New York City was in the midst of an affordable housing and homelessness crisis. The pandemic is likely to lead to even further housing instability in our city. We must continue to try and tackle this problem. The Council has always maintained that the key is investing in long-term solutions, like supportive and permanent housing. This is more than just being compassionate – it is also more financially prudent. The average daily cost for a single adult is $124 in a shelter, with an average length stay for that same adult at around one year and two months. That means it costs the city $51,300 to house one individual during an average shelter stay. For roughly the same cost, a rental voucher could house someone for a year and five months.

Supporting Human Services Providers

The Council urges the Administration to continue to support human services providers by ensuring that workers feel protected, safe, and properly compensated; that contracts reflect the increased costs associated with COVID-19; and that agencies allow flexibility in contract scope and services.

Protecting Tenants and Small Property Owners

The Council calls on the Administration to support a rent relief and deferral program for adversely impacted families and implement tax deferral programs for struggling homeowners and small property owners. Until the pandemic is under control, many New Yorkers will not be able to meet their financial obligations. This is why we need we need to take several steps, including supporting a rent deferral and relief program for adversely impacted renters that lasts the duration of the crisis; calling on large property owners to step up like they did in the 1970s and prepay their entire Fiscal 2021 property tax bill on July 1 to provide the City with cash flow to be able to offer assistance programs to those who were harder hit. We should fund interest forgiveness and tax deferral to low- and moderate-income homeowners, small commercial owners, hotels, and rental building owners who provide rental relief to tenants.

Supporting Small Business

It is critical small businesses survive the COVID-19 crisis until activity is back to normal. To weather the storm, the Council urges the Administration to implement measures to stabilize the small business community. Businesses have certain bills that need to be paid whether or not they are operating, such as rent, utilities, loan payments, insurance costs, and taxes. Getting cash to small businesses during this crucial period is essential and the Administration should continue targeted tax and municipal deferrals and expand the NYC Small Business Continuity Loan Program to reach more businesses and provide larger loans.

“The upcoming budget negotiations will involve many tough choices, but it is clear that there are certain basic items that should remain protected, including investments in public health and the social safety net.  This is a crisis unlike any we have ever seen, but I believe in New York City. We have faced tough challenges before, and have come back stronger every time. These strategic investments outlined in this response will help us get back on our feet,” said Council Speaker Corey Johnson.

“The City must deliver for the thousands of New Yorkers who rely on our social safety net in this time of great need. The COVID-19 pandemic has presented an unprecedented challenge to our city and to the budgeting process. There is a lot of uncertainty but one thing is clear: services that keep New Yorkers housed, fed, healthy and open for business should remain strong. Because the need for many of these services will only grow in the coming months, New York City needs to prioritize them to the fullest extent possible so that no one falls through the cracks. I stand with Speaker Johnson and Capital Budget Subcommittee Chair Gibson in urging the administration to devise a budget that will lift New York City’s most vulnerable up and move the city forward,” said Council Finance Chair Daniel Dromm

“Our communities are struggling as a result of COVID-19 and the projections are that the situation is going to get worse. The number of residents applying for unemployment benefits and public assistance skyrocketed over the past few weeks and that number could increase as businesses continue to close. Millions of New Yorkers rely on social safety net programs and city services for financial relief and substantial cuts to these programs will have an adverse effect on families across all five boroughs. I implore Mayor de Blasio and the administration as we look for ways to reduce costs, to ensure that we keep economic protections in place for low income New Yorkers and other vulnerable populations. Together with Speaker Corey Johnson, my colleagues in the Council, and the Administration, I look forward to achieving a fiscally responsible budget that recognizes our current climate, but also protects and values important programs that New Yorkers are dependent on,” said Capital Budget Subcommittee Chair Vanessa Gibson.

MAYOR DE BLASIO, SPEAKER JOHNSON, NYC CENSUS 2020, KICK-OFF AND RELEASE OF CAMPAIGN PLAN

The largest municipal coordinated census campaign will spend an $8 million media and advertising campaign budget, of which $3 million is committed to community and ethnic media advertising, the largest amount in City history 

 Mayor Bill de Blasio, City Council Speaker Corey Johnson, Deputy Mayor for Strategic Policy Initiatives J. Phillip Thompson, NYC Census 2020 Director Julie Menin, Council Member Carlos Menchaca, Council Member Carlina Rivera, City University of New York (CUNY) Executive Vice Chancellor and University Provost José Luis Cruz, and hundreds of advocates, service providers, representatives from labor and major civic institutions, and city officials today kicked off New York City's Complete Count Campaign, the nation's largest and most diverse coordinated municipal campaign to achieve a complete and accurate count in the 2020 Census.

“New York City has been on the front lines of the resistance against the Trump Administration and ensuring every New Yorker gets counted is central to that fight," said Mayor Bill de Blasio. "No matter how hard the federal government tries to silence our diverse voices, we still stand up and be counted.”

“A complete headcount in the 2020 Census is crucial for the future well-being of our city. We have to get this right to ensure we receive the proper federal funding for our schools, our roads, our health care, our public housing, and more. This is our once-in-a-decade opportunity to show the federal government that we are here, and that we count. The City Council pushed hard to make sure we allocated $40 million in the current budget for the efforts to count every New Yorker, because every New Yorker matters. Community-based organizations are our trusted partners in this effort and will ensure that we reach every community across the five boroughs. Let’s get a complete and accurate count and receive the federal funding we need and deserve,” said Council Speaker Corey Johnson.

With just eight weeks until New Yorkers can begin completing the census online for the first time starting March 12, 2020, Mayor de Blasio and NYC Census 2020 Director Julie Menin also announced that the City will invest $3 million in community and ethnic media advertising to ensure participation among the city's most historically undercounted communities. This figure represents the largest such investment by the City in local and community media for any campaign to date. The census campaign will be advertising in a minimum of 16 languages, including several languages spoken by New Yorkers with high levels of limited proficiency in English. 

About the NYC Complete Count Campaign Plan

The NYC Complete Count Campaign represents a historic and unprecedented partnership between a mayoral administration, the City Council, CUNY, and 157 community-based organizations across all five boroughs, as well as the city's three library systems, labor unions, and civic and private institutions of many types. Consisting of all these partners and supported by an overall joint $40 million investment by Mayor de Blasio and Speaker Johnson, the NYC Complete Count Campaign, collectively, is by far the largest and best-resourced census-focused municipal campaign in the nation. A majority of that funding, an unprecedented $23 million, will go towards community-based organizing and outreach, the largest such investment by any city in the nation.

The plan released today details how the campaign seeks to achieve a complete and accurate count of all New Yorkers in the 2020 Census by engaging in:

·         Targeted campaign-style organizing, with a focus on "Get Out The Count " activities in historically undercounted communities;

·         Aggressive earned media, paid media, and social media strategy featuring everyday New Yorkers and trusted community voices;

·         Deep collaboration across all sectors: city agencies, houses of worship, elected officials, employers, unions, and more;

·         Sophisticated data analysis and modern outreach tactics with new technologies to target outreach to priority neighborhoods, increase efficiency, and enable comparison to real-time self-response data from the U.S. Census Bureau.

New York City's Complete Count Campaign Plan has been conceptualized and drafted by a combination of government and community partners, namely NYC Census 2020, the City's census office, in coordination with the office's Citywide Partners, a network of 15

of the city's most trusted and effective advocacy, organizing, and service delivery organizations, in addition to CUNY. The organizations were discretionarily funded by the City Council in August 2019 at a total of $4 million to engage in census-related planning and organizing, and have worked hand-in-hand with NYC Census 2020 and the City Council on the creation and implementation of the Complete Count Campaign. 

These organizations are: 

·         Association for a Better New York (ABNY), 

·         Asian American Federation,

·         Asian Americans for Equality,

·         Brooklyn NAACP,

·         Center for Law and Social Justice at Medgar Evers College, 

·         Chinese-American Planning Council, 

·         Community Resource Exchange,

·         FPWA, 

·         Hester Street, 

·         Hispanic Federation,

·         Make the Road — New York, 

·         New York Immigration Coalition, 

·         NALEO Educational Fund,

·         United Neighborhood House,  

·         The United Way of New York City. 

“Achieving a complete and accurate count of all New Yorkers in the 2020 Census is critical to maintaining and strengthening our democracy,” said J. Phillip Thompson, Deputy Mayor for Strategic Policy Initiatives. “This unprecedented investment in both community-based organizations and community and ethnic media advertising will allow us to reach New Yorkers where they live and in the languages that they speak. It will also help ensure that we are engaging critically important but historically under-counted and under-represented communities in the Census by leveraging some of the most trusted voices within these communities.”

"In Washington, the Trump Administration thought it had a plan to weaponize the census – and now we have a plan to fight back and get every single New Yorker counted," said Julie Menin, Director, NYC Census 2020 and Executive Assistant Corporation Counsel, NYC Law Department. "Our Complete Count Campaign Plan is built on the idea that it is only through successful and strategic partnerships with local communities, major civic institutions, government, the private sector, media, and others, that we will be able to teach every New Yorker about the critical importance of the census in determining access to our rightful share of resources and representation – and we're proud to be leading the largest and most comprehensive Get Out the Count effort being mounted by any city in the nation."

"Helping New Yorkers to achieve a fair and accurate census count is a critically important task, and one that the City University of New York is uniquely positioned to help achieve both by helping administer the funds that are going to community-based organizations and by deploying our students, who reflect the full range of New York City’s diversity," said CUNY Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez. "CUNY students are ready to venture into the hardest-to-count neighborhoods and ensure that the people who live in those communities, and who all too often are overlooked, are acknowledged and counted. We are proud to play a part in this process and excited about this necessary work to begin."

“We’re entering the final stretch of one of the most important public outreach campaigns in New York City history. And we’ve stepped up to that challenge with a historic $40 million investment. I look forward to working with countless neighborhood leaders and the more than 160 community organizations that are joining us today to ensure we have a complete count in the Census,” said Councilwoman Carlina Rivera, Co-Chair of the Council’s 2020 Census Task Force.

“Almost one year ago, we promised to mobilize the Council to invest whatever it took to ensure a complete count in 2020. Today, we fulfill that promise with the most ambitious effort of any city in the country. But this unprecedented funding is more than a campaign plan. It is a recognition of the trust New Yorkers place in the organizations who serve them every day. The very trust we’ll need to reach our most vulnerable and marginalized New Yorkers no matter where they are or what language they speak,” said Council Member Carlos Menchaca.

In kicking off the Campaign today, the City also convened more than 150 organizations that are recipients of the $19 million NYC Complete Count Fund (CCF), the largest community organizing program the City has ever built. Also unprecedented both in scope and structure, the CCF has been jointly funded by the de Blasio Administration and the Council, with leadership from Council Task Force Co-Chairs Carlos Menchaca and Carlina Rivera, and is being jointly administered by NYC Census 2020 and CUNY. The convening provides CCF recipients training from both campaign experts and community peers on best practices for community organizing, messaging and communications, integrating census awareness into social service delivery, and more. This integrated government-and-community training approach is a first for the City, and serves as the foundation for the City building an expansive and deep civic engagement infrastructure that is meant to outlast and grow beyond the census. 

Collectively, these organizations will be seamlessly integrated into NYC Census 2020's Neighborhood Organizing Census Committees (NOCCs) network, announced in September 2019. This integrated outreach program will recruit thousands of volunteers citywide to engage in local census-related outreach, with the ultimate goal of getting hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers to self-respond to the census, especially in historically undercounted communities. 

Volunteers will primarily engage in four organizing tactics: teach-ins, phone banking, "text-banking ," and community canvassing. More than 1,800 New Yorkers have already signed up as NOCC volunteers through NYC Census 2020's field operation. In addition to the NOCCs program, NYC Census 2020 and its partner organizations will recruit and train scores of trusted leaders to serve as "Census Ambassadors " who will help educate New Yorkers about the census at teach-ins and other community events.

Find New York City's Complete Count Campaign Plan here 

See the full list of Complete Count Fund Awardees here

About the NYC Complete Count Media Campaign 

The 157 organizations that make up the NYC Complete Count Fund recipients serve all 245 New York City neighborhoods in more than 80 languages. Built on the understanding that local community-based organizations are the most trusted messengers of important and sensitive information, the Complete Count Fund is designed to resource and train organizations to build awareness about the importance of the census and fight the spread of misinformation and disinformation. Their community-facing work will be complemented by a multilingual $8 million advertising campaign that will feature innovative, responsive, and multilingual advertising and marketing that will broadcast targeted messages via a diverse array of platforms. The City's $3 million investment in ethnic and community advertising reflects the need to reach historically undercounted populations. Advertising will take place in a minimum of 16 languages, including the top languages spoken by limited English proficiency New Yorkers.

“The announcement and implementation of the NYC Complete Count Campaign Plan, I am thankful for the alignment of resources and support that are desperately needed for the Borough of Brooklyn and our #MakeBrooklynCount campaign," said Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams. "We're working with community partners to begin mobilizing boots on the ground to engage with every and all Brooklyn constituencies in every and all neighborhood around the borough to ensure an accurate and fair demographic and population count during the 2020 Census."

“Every New Yorker counts,” said Council Member Andrew Cohen. “Now more than ever, we must fight back against efforts to suppress, marginalize, and discourage participation in the census. An accurate and complete count is vital to securing our fair share of federal funding for critical resources and ensuring our tax dollars are invested back into our communities.”

"The results of the 2020 Census will have a direct impact on the Bronx receiving its fair share of federal funding and political representation, which is why we must get this right. My office is working with the Bronx Borough President and the Bronx Complete Count Committee to educate hard-to-reach constituents on the importance of participation. I appreciate the thorough and comprehensive plan put forth to encourage Census participation and outreach to historically undercounted communities across our city. I look forward to working with the New York City Mayor's Office, City Council, CUNY, and community and business stakeholders to ensure a full and accurate count of every New Yorker in District 34," said State Senator Alessandra Biaggi.

"New Yorkers need to stand up and be counted in the next Census. Our representation and resources depend on it - everyone needs to be counted to ensure New York has the seat at the table we deserve. I will work with all our stakeholders to ensure a thorough, accurate count of New Yorkers," said Senate Deputy Leader Michael Gianaris.

What's at Stake for New York City in the 2020 Census

Resources for New York City families and communities depend on a complete count of the City's residents. The census determines New York City's fair share of hundreds of billions of dollars in federal funds that support public education, public housing, roads and bridges, and more. The census also determines the number of seats each state is allocated in the House of Representatives, and thus the Electoral College. An undercount could cost the State of New York up to two congressional seats, significantly weakening the power of New York's voice in Washington. 

In 2010, New York City's initial self-response rate was approximately 15 percentage points less than the national average, and the U.S. Census Bureau is currently estimating that the New York area's self-response rate could be as low as 58 percent in 2020. The U.S. Census Bureau also recently published its final 2019 Census Test report, which showed that there would have likely been lower census responses from Asian and Latinx populations if a citizenship question had been included. 

About NYC Census 2020

NYC Census 2020 was established as a first-of-its-kind organizing initiative by Mayor de Blasio in January 2019 to ensure a complete and accurate count of all New Yorkers in the 2020 Census. The program is built on four pillars: (1) a community-based awards program, The New York City Complete Count Fund; (2) an in-house "Get Out the Count" field campaign that is supported by the smart use of data and technology; (3) an innovative, multilingual, tailored messaging and marketing campaign; as well as (4) an in-depth Agency and Partnerships engagement plan that seeks to leverage the power of the City's 350,000-strong workforce and the city's major institutions, including libraries, hospitals, faith-based, cultural institutions, higher educational institutions, and more, to communicate with New Yorkers about the critical importance of census participation. 

EDITOR'S NOTE:

First, we hope that every dollar spent can be accounted for, and that New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer unlike with other NYC spending make sure of that which is his job. 

Second we left in several elected official comments that normally we edit out. As State Senator Alessandra Biaggi points out (we put the two words in bold print) political representation.  That means with the drop in population that is expected after this census in New York State to other states one or even two congressional districts will be redistricted into other congressional districts.

As for the state legislature, it gives the more influential members of the state senate,  state assembly, and even city council the chance to reshape their districts, allowing for redistricting certain areas where the elected official did not do well to be moved part or wholly into another district.

  

MAYOR DE BLASIO, SPEAKER JOHNSON, CHANCELLOR CARRANZA AND NEW YORK CITY COUNCIL ANNOUNCE SUPPORT FOR COMMUNITY-BASED EARLY CARE AND EDUCATION PROVIDERS

  Mayor Bill de Blasio, Speaker Corey Johnson and Chancellor Richard A. Carranza today announced addenda to the Birth-to-Five RFP and Head Start/Early Head Start RFP that will support community-based early care and education providers with greater financial stability. Written in partnership with the City Council and after hearing extensive feedback from advocates and community-based providers, these addenda will raise the funding floor for awarded providers, support indirect costs and cost increases over the contract term, and strengthen the partnership between the Department of Education and community-based providers.

“I’ve put early childhood education front and center as Mayor because it’s our first tool for improving the lives of every New Yorker and making this the fairest big city in the country,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “We’ve heard the voices of community advocates and the Council and are committed to ensuring early childhood education providers have the stability and funding they need to put our kids on the path to success inside and outside the classroom.”

“This is a huge win for our city,” said Speaker Corey Johnson. “Community-based early care and education providers helping to raise a new generation of New Yorkers. They deserve all the support we can give them and nothing less." 

“Pre-K and 3-K for All would not be possible without the phenomenal work and dedication of our community-based providers,” said Schools Chancellor Richard A. Carranza. “We’ve met with and listened to numerous advocates and providers, and we’re excited to strengthen our partnership with these providers and continue to work together to provide high-quality early care and education to New York City children and families.”

  

The specific changes to the RFPs include:

·         To make it easier for providers to meet their programmatic needs, and help fill seats, DOE has increased the up-front payments providers receive by January of each school year to three-quarters of their contract value, a 10% increase over the original RFP. Providers that have enrollment greater than 75% will receive an enhanced payment, and those with at least 93% enrollment will receive their full contract value.

·         Additionally, the DOE will continue to provide extensive enrollment support to all CBOs to ensure that programs are able to fill seats and families are able to receive high-quality care that meets their needs. This includes: 

o   Access to a multilingual outreach team that reaches thousands of families every year and will partner with providers to reach out to families specifically in their communities;

o   Support for families, including a mobile-friendly application, in-person support at 12 Family Welcome Centers, and application support available in over 200 languages;

o   Outdoor and digital advertisements with targeting based on neighborhood language;

o   Marketing materials for programs like palm cards, posters, and banners;

o   One-on-one support to under-enrolled programs.

·         Consistent with policy developed by the Nonprofit Resiliency Committee in partnership with nonprofits and the City Council, providers may budget for up to 10 percent of indirect costs if that is what is required within the budget and program model. That number may be higher if approved by the federal government or verified by a CPA. 

·         Providers’ cost increases during the contract term will be addressed if and when the city certifies that industry-wide labor costs increase, or if the individual provider demonstrates reasonable increases in occupancy cost. 

·         Contracted providers can propose to offer 8-10 hour-per-day, year-round programming, and the City will award as many of these seats as possible, pending available funds.

·         DOE has synchronized the deadline for providers to respond to both the Birth-to-Five RFP and the Head Start RFP, extending the Birth-to-Five deadline so that both are on June 13.

“Our community-based providers have been essential to the success of Pre-K and 3-K for All and integral to communities across this City,” said Deputy Chancellor of Early Childhood and Student Enrollment Josh Wallack. “We’ve listened to their concerns, and we’re excited to take this step forward in partnership with them and with the support of our Mayor, our Chancellor, and the City Council. We’ll continue to partner with our CBOs to provide high-quality programs for New York City children and families.”

Speaker Johnson, Council Member Treyger, and Public Safety Committee Chair Richards Call on the State Senate to Pass Legislation to Prohibit Sexual Contact Between Police and People Held in Custody

Renewed Call Comes After State Assembly Passes Bill Closing Consent Loophole

   Taking action to protect the rights of individuals who come into contact with law enforcement, Council Speaker Corey Johnson, Council Member Mark Treyger, and Public Safety Committee Chair Donovan Richards today renewed their call for the State Senate to prohibit sexual contact between police officers and individuals in their custody. The Council will hold a hearing on a resolution urging the State to pass this important legislation and stand up for civil rights.

Currently, a state statute exists that prohibits sexual contact between corrections or parole officers and the individuals in their custody. However, it does not explicitly indicate the legality of such contact between police officers and those who they detain or take into custody.

Council Member Mark Treyger introduced a resolution, now Res. 177, shortly after a related incident in October 2017. Two NYPD officers were ultimately charged with rape after engaging in sexual activity with an 18-year old woman whom they had taken into custody.

“This antiquated loophole creates a dangerous lack of accountability regarding sexual assault and rape, and sets an unacceptable precedent regarding the power that officers can wield. The NYPD needs to maintain its integrity so that our community members can trust them. Officers are obligated to protect people in their custody, who cannot consent to sexual activity,” said Speaker Corey Johnson. “The Council urges the State Senate to consider and pass this legislation swiftly – we cannot afford to delay this any longer.”

“The power dynamic that exists between a law enforcement official and an individual in their custody precludes any possibility of meaningful consent being given free from coercion. Our laws must be aligned with basic common sense and decency,” said Council Member Mark Treyger. “I call on the State Senate to pass this legislation, and I thank Speaker Johnson and my colleagues for their support.”

“When an officer has a person’s freedom in the palm of their hands, that person is in no position to make a reasonable and thoughtful decision on consent,” said Council Member Donovan Richards, Chair of the Committee on Public Safety. “Any officer who uses this power for their own personal gain is violating public trust and abusing the power given to them by the City of New York. I am honored to stand with Speaker Johnson and Council Member Treyger to call on the State Senate to pass this legislation and close this nonsensical loophole.”