“It is great to see that an agreement was made on the 2016 budget in a timely manner,” said Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. “There are a lot of positive aspects in this budget. The addition of more uniformed police officers is always welcomed as we continue to find ways to keep our neighborhoods safe and make them even safer.
“We have managed to reduce crime to all-time lows here in The Bronx, but we can never let our guard down. More uniformed officers can only help us maintain and build upon what we have built thus far in the borough.
“I am also glad to see that we are adding money to our libraries, keeping them open six days a week along with extended hours, especially as the summer rolls around and children are out of school. Keeping our libraries open longer gives our children avenues to continue their education outside of regular school hours. In addition, a $25 million increase in funding for senior services is a welcome addition for one of our most vulnerable populations.
“And considering the importance of living a healthy lifestyle, especially at an early age, as emphasized in our ‘#Not62’ initiative, adding more physical education teachers into our public school system is a huge boost as far as getting our future generation of Bronxites to live healthier. We hope that extra gym teachers will motivate younger people to lead more active lives. The younger you start living healthy, the more motivated people stay to maintain that lifestyle.
“I want to thank Mayor de Blasio, City Council Speaker Mark-Viverito and the entire City Council for their efforts on this year’s budget,” added Borough President Diaz.