Mayor Bill de Blasio announced billions in budget cuts today (Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office)
April 16, 2020 By Allie Griffin
Mayor Bill de Blasio announced today that he plans to slash billions of dollars from the city’s budget for the 2021 fiscal year that begins July 1.
He has proposed cutting $2.7 billion in funding to ease a loss of tax revenue that the city estimates to be $7.4 billion over the remainder of this fiscal year and the next — a number de Blasio called “a horrifying figure.”
The new executive budget will be $89.3 billion, he announced — $6 billion less than the initial budget he proposed in January and $3.4 billion less than the budget for the current fiscal year.
The budget will focus on funding initiatives that keep people safe and healthy– particularly programs that house and feed residents, de Blasio said.
Many programs will be cut, including summer programs for children. The city’s public pools will be shut saving $12 million– and public beaches are likely to be closed too. However, the pool closures stem from the need to stop large gatherings and ensure social distancing, the mayor said.
The mayor called the budget cuts tough and painful, but said “they had to be done.”
“Things that we would love to focus on in peacetime, we don’t get to focused on in wartime,” de Blasio said of the pandemic.” And this in effect is wartime.”
He said the city would also be pulling money from its budget reserves to counter the revenue loss.
Still, the mayor called on the federal government to help New York City cover the budget gap — asking for the $7.4 billion the city expects to lose.
New York City has received $1.4 billion from the federal government already — a small number, the mayor said, in comparison to $58 billion bailout of the airline industry.
“How about bailing out the nation’s largest City? How about bailing out the epicenter of this crisis where people have been suffering?” de Blasio pleaded.
“We’re still waiting,” he added.
He said he spoke to President Donald Trump yesterday and asked him to remember his hometown in its time of need.
“I made clear to the president that his hometown needs him,” de Blasio said of the commander-in-chief, who hails from Queens.
“If President Trump raises his voice, the Republican Senate will follow period,” he said. “Haven’t heard his voice yet, I want to give him an opportunity to do the right thing. So, President Trump, here’s my appeal to you, help us back on our feet.”
The budget will be finalized in June before it takes effect on July 1.
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11 Comments
Vote OUT de Blasio cronies- Costa, Dromm, Corey Johnson, Donovan Richards, Elizabeth Crowley – VOTE THEM OUT!!!!! de Blasio must resign!
Cutting funds from schools, programs for kids, systemic hospital closures, but BILLIONS for the construction of Borough Jails and closing Rikers?!!! Instead of saving money and doing the justice reforms on Rikers?!!! How are inmates going to keep safe distance in jail towers next pandemic? Where is city comptroller?! More than 1 Billion unaccounted for in “programs” for homeless and yet more homeless!!! city officials are not doing anything for public safety, nothing! We are being taxed more, pay more and being punished more for being law abiding citizens with no benefits, defunct MTA, closed hospitals, paying in full for healthcare, worried about being attacked on the streets or the train. Will not be buying any bonds or any paper city is selling!!! Good luck collecting money from criminals, thugs, illegals. I’m sure they pay their fair share as they are enjoying most benefits.
They should cut it much much more. Families have to constrain their budgets during this crisis, so should the city with its bloated budget and be held accountable for spending other peoples money. Especially if they plan on suspending rents, NYC will likewise have to suspend billions more in collected property taxes and utility bills from those small business landlords.
Joe- Government spending is not like your family budget, nothing close.
I couldn’t agree more. In a family budget, you actually have to earn the money that you want to spend.
Joe- You appears to have thevcharacteristics of a dead beat dad; I love my kids except when it’s time to financially support them.,
Sunnysider – Apparently you lack the same characteristics of this administration. Accountability.
Joe – Earnings and spending are two dynamically different topics. Your post is a rebuttal?
@Joe- The city “must be held accountable for spending other people’s money.” What you mean is “your” money on tax payers and others you find unworthy. It’s not “other people’s” money, it’s the residents of the city of New York’s money. Whether you like who the money is being spent on or not.
It’s not getting spent, if it’s not collected.
Joe – As history has shown, building a society and living in a society is not free. Grow up already. You financially starve and ultimately topple our government another will be here to take its place and you will pay tribute to them.