Last week, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio revealed the city’s $75 billion budget, which represented a slight turn from the highly publicized tug-of-war it had become during Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s tenure.
“We did not play the game of cutting resources from nonprofits that were serving communities,” said de Blasio during a news conference. “We just wouldn’t do that. From the beginning we said, ‘Let people who are doing good work continue to do that good work.’
“We’re not going to threaten firehouses. We’re not going to tell people that fundamental services have to be fought for, for months and then maybe they get them, maybe they don’t. We created order and consistency and respect in this process. It was a mutual decision; it was played out mutually.”
The public face of de Blasio’s budget focuses on universal pre-K, after-school programs for middle schoolers, affordable housing and better economic opportunities for small businesses.
De Blasio also praised Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito for showing “in very clear terms that she does what she says and says what she does—she means it. She means it. She’s serious, she’s focused, she’s respectful, she’s consistent. And that had made a huge difference; that’s allowed us to have a better process.”
Mark-Viverito also praised the agreement.
“This is an incredible victory, and we should all be proud, because we’re talking about 200 additional officers who were doing clerical duties, weren’t on patrol, weren’t on the beat, weren’t in local neighborhoods providing any sort of service on the ground in precincts,” said Mark-Viverito. “So this is an incredible victory, and turning around an administration, in terms of NYPD, of really getting civilianization taken care of, and starting on a path to make those changes.”
Some of those changes include $6.2 million set aside to hire 200 police administrative aides, which would take uniformed officers from desk jobs and put them back on the streets, $32.5 million set aside to increase programming and enhance services for Rikers Island inmates with mental illness and reduce violence at the correctional facility, and de Blasio’s “Vision Zero” plan to reduce traffic deaths in the five boroughs.
New York City Council Member Jumaane Williams praised Mark-Viverito for her help in seeing de Blasio’s vision for the budget. “Her commitment to really listening to the budgetary priorities of each council member’s district was fervent, which has been reflective of her leadership since taking office,” he said.
De Blasio highlighted his focus on education, public housing and public services in general, including $6.25 million to provide free school lunches to all middle school students starting this September; $17.5 million for summer out-of-school time slots that will provide 10,700 summer youth jobs; and $10 million to create additional child care vouchers for low-income families so parents have access to quality child care.
The budget also sets aside $17 million to keep 57 New York City Housing Authority community and senior centers open. An additional $19 million will be used for what the city calls “a comprehensive, citywide plan to reduce violent crime in NYCHA [New York City Housing Authority]developments by increasing community engagement efforts and expanding neighborhood watch and domestic violence outreach teams—while providing key services to residents, including employment and benefits assistance, recreation and mentorship.”
The emphasis on public services and education wasn’t lost on DC 37 Executive Director Lillian Roberts.
“The announced fiscal year 2015 budget agreement between Mayor de Blasio and the City Council signals a clear departure from the previous administration’s policies of neglect to essential public services,” said Roberts in a statement. “It marks a positive step by new city leadership toward achieving a government for all.”
