Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson - FY 2027 CAPITAL BUDGET PRIORITIES

 

Dear Neighbor,

This week, we announced our Fiscal Year 2027 Capital Budget Priorities, investing more than $56 million across 193 capital projects that will bridge the digital divide, expand opportunities for our youth, and enhance public safety efforts throughout the borough.

Some of this year's key investments include:

•   $1 million for athletic field renovations at the Christopher Columbus Educational Campus
•    $1 million for Fordham University's Green Job Center
•    $500,000 to renovate FDNY Engine 79, Ladder 37, Battalion 27
•    $500,000 to modernize the Soundview Library
•    $500,000 to renovate the Bronx Museum of the Arts' South Wing Atrium
•    $350,000 for mobile media technology at the (Soon to Open) Bronx School of Hip Hop

It has been an honor to invest in the people, places, and institutions that make our borough the best place to live, work, and raise your family. Since taking office, we have allocated more than $100 million in capital funding to education because I believe every student deserves access to a high-quality education; over $23 million to our healthcare facilities; over $20 million to housing; and nearly $20 million to our borough's cultural institutions. Every investment we make is an investment in our future, and I look forward to continuing this work alongside you to support the over 1.4 million residents who call our borough their home. 

Warm Regards,

Vanessa L. Gibson

Bronx Borough President

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If you or someone you know needs help, please call our office at 718-590-3500 or email webmail@bronxbp.nyc.gov.

Former Ship Captain Pleads Guilty to The Drugging and Sexual Assault at Sea of Merchant Marine Academy Student Cadet

 

Victim Was Drugged and Raped by the Defendant While She Was Incapacitated

John Merrone pleaded guilty to all five counts of an indictment charging him with aggravated sexual abuse, sexual abuse, and abusive sexual contact relating to the rape of a 21-year-old United States Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA) student cadet (Jane Doe) working on a vessel under the command of the defendant. Merrone pleaded guilty after a jury was selected.  When sentenced, Merrone faces up to life in prison.

Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York and James C. Barnacle, Jr., Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), announced the guilty plea.

“The defendant admitted abusing his authority as a ship captain to carry out a heinous sexual assault on a young woman, who was under his supervision, as she embarked on a career as a mariner,” stated United States Attorney Nocella.  “It is my hope that this guilty plea will give the survivor of this attack some measure of closure knowing that the defendant has been held accountable for his despicable conduct.”

Mr. Nocella also expressed his appreciation to the United States Coast Guard for its investigative work on the case.

“Former Captain John Merrone grossly violated his authority by drugging and raping a U.S. Merchant Marine cadet training aboard his ship. The FBI is dedicated to holding accountable those in trusted roles from heinously abusing the brave servicemembers protecting this country,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Barnacle.

In September 2019, Jane Doe was aboard a commercial vessel as part of her participation in the USMMA Sea Year Program where cadets study to be midshipmen and are assigned to a U.S.-flagged merchant vessel to obtain experience being a merchant mariner.  The vessel was in the Atlantic Ocean bound for Corpus Christi, Texas.  Merrone, then 47 years-old, was the highest-ranking official on the vessel.  On September 9, 2019, Merrone summoned Jane Doe and another female cadet to his stateroom for a soda and poured each of them an alcoholic drink from an open bottle. Shortly after consuming the drinks, Jane Doe and the fellow student lost recollection of the remainder of the evening. Jane Doe awoke the next morning in her bed wearing only a shirt and bra, and no underwear or pants.  She felt nauseous, had a headache and felt like someone had had sex with her.  The next day, Merrone called Jane Doe to his stateroom and said that he had “fun last night” and asked her to do it again.  Jane Doe told him that she did not recall what had happened, and Merrone told her “one thing led to another.”  Jane Doe reported the sexual assault to her mother and a friend when she returned to the United States, and sought medical attention.  She reported the attack to law enforcement in 2021.  At his guilty plea, the defendant admitted that he knowingly gave Jane Doe an intoxicant without her knowledge or consent, and she became incapacitated.  He then had sex with her without her consent.

D.A. Bragg: Man Indicted For Upper West Side Car Crash That Killed Two And Injured Three

 

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg, Jr., announced the indictment of ELVIN SUAREZ, 61, for allegedly driving while intoxicated and crashing into four pedestrians and an occupied vehicle on the Upper West Side in May 2026, killing 46-year-old Jason Negron and 35-year-old Michael Saint-Hilaire and injuring three others. SUAREZ is charged in a New York State Supreme Court indictment with varying counts, including Aggravated Vehicular Homicide, Manslaughter in the Second Degree, Aggravated Vehicular Assault and Aggravated Driving While Intoxicated, among other charges. [1]

“As alleged, Elvin Suarez’s decision to drive while intoxicated had devastating and entirely preventable consequences,” said District Attorney Bragg. “Three men were significantly injured, and Jason Negron and Michael Saint-Hilaire—devoted fathers, loyal friends, and beloved members of their Upper West Side community—were killed. The tremendous outpouring of support in the aftermath of this tragedy reflects how deeply they were loved, and my thoughts remain with their families, loved ones, and the surviving victims, as we seek accountability in this case.” 

As alleged in court documents and statements made on the record in court, on May 15, 2026, at approximately 6:00 p.m., SUAREZ was allegedly driving his vehicle, while intoxicated and at a high rate of speed, heading northbound on Amsterdam Avenue. Between West 107th and West 108th Streets, he allegedly struck an unoccupied parked vehicle. Continuing along Amsterdam Avenue, SUAREZ drove through the intersection at 109th Street and over a median separating the bike lane from the street. He allegedly struck four pedestrians who were standing nearby, including Mr. Negron and Mr. Saint-Hilaire, and an occupied parked vehicle.

The force of the collision sent three of the pedestrians several feet away and pushed the occupied parked vehicle into additional parked vehicles, causing a pile up. SUAREZ’s vehicle eventually came to a stop, and he exited before lying on the ground beside it at the direction of bystanders.

A few minutes later, police officers arrived at the scene, finding Mr. Negron unresponsive and trapped beneath SUAREZ’s vehicle, and Mr. Saint-Hilaire receiving CPR from a bystander. The remaining three victims – 36-, 44- and 51-year-old men – received treatment by first responders for their injuries.

SUAREZ was arrested and transported to the hospital. All five victims were also taken to the hospital for treatment. Among the injuries, the 44-year-old man suffered an open fracture to the right leg, the 36-year-old man suffered back fractures, and the 51-year-old man, who was the occupant of the hit parked vehicle, suffered pain to his head, neck and shoulder. Mr. Negron and Mr. Saint-Hilaire were pronounced dead.

D.A. Bragg thanked Detective Gregory Gianacopulos and Sergeant Randall McFarland of the NYPD Collision Investigation Squad, DA Investigator Brian Granshaw, and the numerous first responders, including members of the NYPD 24th Precinct.

Defendant Information:

ELVIN SUAREZ

New York, NY

Charged:

•    Aggravated Vehicular Homicide, a class B felony, five counts
•    Manslaughter in the Second Degree, a class C felony, two counts
•    Aggravated Vehicular Assault, a class C felony, three counts
•    Assault in the Second Degree, a class D felony, two counts
•    Assault in the Third Degree, a class A misdemeanor, one count
•    Aggravated Driving While Intoxicated, a misdemeanor, one count

[1] The charges contained in the indictment are merely allegations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. All factual recitations are derived from documents filed in court and statements made on the record in court.

Mayor Mamdani Expands City Response to Dangerous Heat, Worsening Air Quality

Hundreds of cooling centers will remain open Thursday  

  

Free KN95 masks available at hundreds of locations, including library branches, police precincts, firehouses and major transit hubs    

Outreach workers intensify canvassing efforts under both Code Red and Code Grey   

Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani today expanded the City’s response as dangerous heat continues through Thursday and smoke from Canadian wildfires worsens air quality across New York City.  

  

Thursday’s heat index is forecast to reach the low 90s, while air quality is expected to fall into the “Unhealthy” category. New Yorkers are urged to stay in air-conditioned spaces whenever possible, limit time outdoors, stay hydrated and check on neighbors. Older adults, people with heart or lung conditions, pregnant people, children and infants face the greatest risks.    

  

“The combination of dangerous heat and unhealthy air is a serious threat to New Yorkers’ health,” said Mayor Mamdani. “If you can, stay somewhere cool with air conditioning, limit your time outdoors, drink plenty of water and check on your neighbors — especially older New Yorkers and anyone with a health condition. Our administration is opening cooling centers, distributing free masks and expanding outreach across the five boroughs. We’ll get through this the same way we always do: together.”  

  

“Outreach workers, librarians, firefighters and police officers are handing out masks in every borough, and cooling center staff are opening doors to anyone who needs relief. That’s the City’s emergency management system at work,” said NYCEM Commissioner Christina Farrell. “Everyday New Yorkers are part of that system too. Limit your time outdoors, check on your neighbors, especially anyone having trouble breathing or managing a health condition, and text NOTIFYNYC to 692-692 so you know the moment conditions change.”  

  

Preparing for Dangerous Heat  

  

Mayor Mamdani is extending the City’s Heat Emergency Plan through Thursday. Hundreds of cooling centers will remain open, and outreach teams will continue intensified efforts under Code Red to connect homeless New Yorkers with safe, air-conditioned spaces.  

  

New Yorkers can find cooling centers, including accessible and pet-friendly locations, at finder.nyc.gov/coolingcenters/ or by calling 311. Service animals are always welcome.    

  

Protecting New Yorkers From Poor Air Quality  

  

Smoke from wildfires in Canada is bringing elevated levels of particulate matter into New York City. Air quality reached levels classified as “Unhealthy” in parts of the city Wednesday and is expected to remain poor Thursday.  

  

Free KN95 masks are available at more than 200 New York Public Library, Queens Public Library and Brooklyn Public Library locations, all NYPD precincts, nine FDNY firehouses, four major transit hubs and through partnerships with the New York City Department of Transportation (NYC DOT), Economic Development Corporation (EDC), Department for the Aging (NYC Aging) and local council members.   

  

The City’s mask distribution network will expand Thursday to every New York Public Library branch and additional outdoor summer events.  

  

New Yorkers can find pickup locations using the City’s Mask Distribution Site map.  

  

The Department of Social Services (DSS) will activate Code Grey on Thursday alongside Code Red. Outreach teams will increase canvassing to distribute masks and connect homeless New Yorkers with cool, air-conditioned spaces. COOL vans will be deployed to support homeless New Yorkers, check on older adults and distribute masks and other essential supplies. Shelter is available to anyone experiencing homelessness, and walk-ins are welcome. Anyone concerned about someone who may need assistance should call 311.  

  

City agencies are adjusting operations to protect New Yorkers during the heat and poor air quality.  

  

New York City Public Schools (NYCPS) has directed principals to significantly limit outdoor activities. Schools are rescheduling outdoor field trips and ensuring ventilation and air conditioning systems are operating effectively.  

  

NYC Parks is canceling many of its outdoor programs, including swim programs for children and infants, and moving camp activities indoors where possible. The agency will continue to monitor air quality and visibility and adjust programming, including beach and pool operations, as conditions warrant.  

  

The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH), Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS), NYCEM and the New York Committee for Occupational Safety and Health (NYCOSH) are coordinating closely to protect outdoor workers. DCAS has also issued guidance to City agencies on remote work.  

  

New Yorkers are encouraged to sign up for emergency alerts by texting NOTIFYNYC to 692-692.  

  

More information on staying safe during extreme heat is available at nyc.gov/beattheheat, and guidance on wildfire smoke is available at on.nyc.gov/firesmoke.   

DHS Demands Sanctuary Politicians Stop Violent Rhetoric Fueling Vehicle Attacks Against Federal Law Enforcement

 

The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released the following statement condemning sanctuary politicians’ rhetoric against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), which is fueling vehicle attacks against federal officers.

“Every day, the brave men and women of ICE and CBP put their lives on the line to protect the American people and remove criminal illegal aliens from our communities,” said Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis. “Yet, because of the dangerous smears and hoaxes spread by sanctuary politicians, our officers are facing a 3,300% increase in vehicle attacks by illegal aliens and anti-ICE agitators. We are once again calling on sanctuary politicians, agitators, and the media to turn the temperature down and stop calling for violence and resistance against ICE law enforcement.”

Below are some of the most egregious examples of hateful rhetoric by sanctuary politicians against ICE and CBP:

• Minnesota Governor Tim Walz compared ICE to a “modern-day Gestapo.”
• Jasmine Crockett compared ICE to “slave patrols…disappearing people based on their skin color,” and also accused ICE of “turning us into Nazi Germany.” 
• Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker claimed that the United States is “essentially” becoming Nazi Germany because of ICE’s heroic efforts. 
• Boston Mayor Michelle Wu compared mask-wearing ICE agents to a Neo-Nazi group. 
• Becca Balint compared ICE law enforcement officers to “vigilantes” engaging in “kidnapping.” 
• Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez hosted a webinar providing tips for illegal aliens to evade arrests at homes, workplaces, or in public. 
• Dan Goldman posted an online video calling on illegal aliens to make a plan for ICE encounters. 
• Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass issued multilingual flyers and online resources advising illegal aliens on how to evade arrest.
• California Governor Gavin Newsom released guides and sanctuary laws advising illegal aliens how to recognize ICE, block entry, and defy arrest.
• Shri Thanedar introduced the Abolish ICE Act and stated that ICE “cannot be reformed and must be abolished.”
• Ilhan Omar delivered a House floor speech calling to abolish ICE.

And below are some of the examples of violent vehicular attacks against ICE and CBP as a result of this language by irresponsible sanctuary politicians:

On April 2, 2026, an illegal alien from Honduras tried to evade arrest using his vehicle, sending two ICE officers to the hospital in Baltimore, Maryland. His escape attempt was unsuccessful and ICE arrested him.

On January 13, 2026, an illegal alien from Cuba weaponized his vehicle and rammed two ICE vehicles in San Antonio, Texas. ICE officers successfully arrested him.

On December 8, 2025, an illegal alien from Venezuela and suspected member of Tren de Aragua used his car to ram a law enforcement officer’s vehicle into a tree in Elgin, Illinois. The officer sustained no injuries and ICE arrested the suspect.

On November 13, 2025, a criminal illegal alien from El Salvador intentionally rammed his car into an ICE vehicle and fled the scene in Adelphi, Maryland. He then hit another vehicle before fleeing the scene on foot, and was apprehended by ICE officers.

On November 8, 2025, the U.S. Border Patrol faced four different vehicular ramming attacks in a single day while conducting immigration enforcement operations in Chicago, Illinois. Four suspects were arrested, while another was thwarted by a Controlled Tire Deflation Device.

On October 2, 2025, ICE officers were targets of two different vehicular assaults in Illinois on the same day, with one in Bensenville and the other in Norridge. The suspects in both cases were criminal illegal aliens who were arrested.

On September 14, 2025, an illegal alien from Guatemala reversed his car into an ICE officer during a traffic stop in an attempt to flee in Homestead, Florida, hitting the officer in the leg. The suspect rammed into multiple ICE vehicles and then sped away into oncoming traffic, colliding with a utility van. The driver and three other illegal aliens were arrested.

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Mayor Mamdani, Chief Climate Officer Yeung Announce Appointment of Annel Hernandez as Public Utility Advocate

 

Hernandez to lead City efforts to lower utility costs, improve service and expand clean energy affordability programs for working-class New Yorkers 

Today, Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani and Chief Climate Officer Louise Yeung announced the appointment of Annel Hernandez as New York City’s Public Utility Advocate.  

  

As part of the Mayor’s Office of Climate & Environmental Justice (MOCEJ), Hernandez will work closely with City agencies, community organizations and other stakeholders to protect utility customers, fight for affordable rates, expand access to energy affordability programs, increase public participation in utility rate proceedings and ensure the transition to clean energy delivers material benefits to the New Yorkers who need them most.  

  

Hernandez’s appointment comes as New Yorkers face some of the highest energy costs in the nation. Lowering utility bills is central to the Mamdani administration’s efforts to confront the climate and cost-of-living crises facing working families.   

   

“Gas and electricity are not luxuries — they are basic necessities. But too many New Yorkers are struggling to afford the energy they need to keep the lights on, stay cool in the summer and heat their homes in the winter,” said Mayor Mamdani. “As Utility Advocate, Annel Hernandez will be a relentless fighter for working people. She will stand up to utility companies pocketing billions in profit at the expense of hard-working New Yorkers, push back against unjustified rate hikes and champion a clean energy future that lowers costs and improves people’s lives.”   

   

“Our energy grid powers our every day, and yet most New Yorkers feel disconnected or disempowered from shaping that very system. NYC’s clean energy transition should mean a modern grid, large renewable energy projects, resilient distributed energy, healthy efficient homes, community solar and lower energy bills. I look forward to collaborating with allies to uplift community voices as we advance our clean energy goals,” said Public Utility Advocate Annel Hernandez.   

  

“It’s unacceptable that New Yorkers are forced to choose between putting food on their dinner tables and plugging in their AC on a dangerously hot summer day,” said Deputy Mayor for Operations Julia Kerson. “Annel Hernandez will lead the charge to challenge rate hikes, secure affordability and move our city toward a greener future. She will anchor this administration’s commitment to holding wealthy utility companies accountable to the people they serve, and I look forward to the wins she will deliver for the working families of our city.”   

   

“Every month, New Yorkers facing high energy bills are confronted with the reality that the climate crisis is inextricably linked to the affordability crisis,” said Chief Climate Officer Louise Yeung. “Annel Hernandez is a dedicated climate justice leader and public servant who not only understands that reality but also knows how to deliver climate solutions. In her new role as Public Utility Advocate, Hernandez will fight to keep energy affordable for working-class New Yorkers to make sure no one is left behind in a just and equitable transition to clean energy."     

  

About Annel Hernandez   

   

Annel Hernandez has dedicated her career in public service to advancing climate policy with a focus on equity, environmental justice and clean energy. She currently leads the clean energy team at the Mayor’s Office of Climate and Environmental Justice.  

  

Previously, Hernandez served as the Director of Climate and Environmental Policy for New York City Council Member Sandy Nurse and as Associate Director of the New York City Environmental Justice Alliance. She also held roles at the Mayor’s Office of Economic Opportunity and the Urban Climate Change Research Network at Columbia University’s Earth Institute. She began her public service career as a New York City Urban Fellow.  

  

Hernandez teaches environmental justice and climate resiliency at Columbia University. She holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and Latino studies from Fordham University and a Master of Public Administration in Energy and Environment from Columbia University. A lifelong New Yorker, she lives in Bushwick, Brooklyn.  

  

Federal Correctional Officer Charged With Sexual Abuse Of An Inmate At FCI Otisville

 

United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), James C. Barnacle, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General (“DOJ OIG”), Ryan T. Geach, and Director of the Federal Bureau of Prisons (“BOP”), William K. Marshall III, announced today the unsealing of an Indictment charging KYLE BROWN, a former federal correctional officer with the BOP, with three counts of sexual abuse of a ward for engaging in sexual acts with an inmate he was responsible for guarding.  BROWN was arrested this morning and was presented before U.S. Magistrate Judge Victoria Reznik.  The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Philip M. Halpern.

“Sexual abuse will be met with federal charges throughout our society; it has no place anywhere and victims deserve protection everywhere,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton.  “When a correctional officer abuses their power and harms an inmate, it is not only a violation of federal law—it is a betrayal of the trust that New York families place in our institutions.  We will continue to protect victims, pursue the truth, and hold accountable anyone who abuses their power for their own sexual gratification.”

“As alleged, Kyle Brown abused his authority to engage in sexual acts with an inmate under his protection,” said FBI Assistant Director in Charge James C. Barnacle, Jr.  “The FBI is committed to holding corrupt civil servants accountable.”

“The safety and security of federal prisons are of the utmost importance, and the DOJ OIG vigorously investigates allegations of abuse of inmates by Federal Bureau of Prisons staff to ensure that those who break the law and the public’s trust are held accountable,” said DOJ OIG Special Agent in Charge Ryan T. Geach.

“The allegations in the case represent a profound abuse of authority and a betrayal of public trust,” said BOP Director William K. Marshall III.  “Anyone who exploits their position of authority disgraces this profession and has no place in the Federal Bureau of Prisons.  Working alongside our law enforcement partners, we will pursue anyone who violates the law and ensure they are held accountable.”

According to the allegations in the Indictment and other public filings: 

Between in or about 2024 and on or about July 1, 2026, BROWN was employed as a federal correctional officer at Federal Correctional Institution, Otisville (“FCI Otisville”).  On three occasions between December 26, 2025, and April 4, 2026, BROWN engaged in anal and/or oral sex with an inmate who was incarcerated at FCI Otisville and over whom BROWN had authority.

BROWN, 27, of Newburgh, New York, is charged with three counts of sexual abuse of a ward, which carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison. 

The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.

Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI and DOJ OIG, as well as the FBI Hudson Valley White Collar Crime Task Force and Otisville FCI Special Investigative Swift Response.

The prosecution of this case is being handled by the Office’s Civil Rights and Human Trafficking Unit in the Criminal Division.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Morel and Madison Reddick Smyser are in charge of the prosecution.

The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.