“The budget adoption announced last week by Mayor Eric Adams and Speaker Adrienne Adams is a model of good governance and fiscal responsibility that will fund the services and programs that New Yorkers need and demand. I am grateful that the FY25 budget reverses many of the budget cuts that the Mayor had previously announced to critical programs and places the city on firmer financial footing moving forward.
- Arts and Culture: I am especially pleased by the funding restorations for our parks, libraries, and cultural institutions that are essential to our communities and provide our residents and families with safe spaces to recreate.
- Education: The budget’s numerous investments in education from 3K to our higher education CUNY institutions ensure our youth will have access to a quality education in our borough. I also urge our city’s leaders to come together over the next year to make stronger plans to fully fund our 3K system so that every family has a seat for their child in their neighborhood.
- Housing: The new $2 billion investment that the city will be making in affordable housing through this budget is a strong step towards tackling the housing crisis that our city is facing. The preservation of existing housing and the development of new affordable housing will help ensure that our residents are able to stay in their homes and their communities. I am especially pleased that the city is investing more in NYCHA to help provide the capital improvements that residents deserve.
- Transportation Equity: Last week, I joined my fellow Borough Presidents from Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens to call for an expansion of the Fair Fares program. The increase in the eligibility threshold from 120% of the poverty level to 145% of the poverty level in this budget is a strong step towards ensuring every New Yorker has access to our city’s transit system.
Additional priorities such as ensuring funding for additional police officers, improving the cleanliness of our streets and parks, making improvements to public housing developments, and funding more workforce development programs are all wins for our borough and the city as a whole.
Thank you to Mayor Eric Adams, Speaker Adrienne E. Adams, Deputy Speaker Diana Ayala, Finance Chair Justin Brannan, Majority Leader Amanda Farías, Majority Whip Selvena Brooks-Powers, and our Bronx Council Members who have dedicated these past several months to ensuring that the services and investments that our residents deserve are fully funded.”