NEW YORK––Mayor Bill de Blasio, City Council Speaker Corey Johnson, Council Finance Chair Daniel Dromm and members of the City Council today announced an agreement for an on-time and balanced City budget for Fiscal Year 2020. The budget protects the City’s fiscal health by maintaining record levels of reserves and a robust Citywide Savings Program.
The agreement on the approximately $92.8 billion budget includes funding to place 200 additional social workers in public schools, including specialists working within Thrive who will help students experiencing crisis and mental health issues. Further, the City is expanding its commitment to Senior Housing by adding $275 million over Fiscal Years 2020 through 2023. These resources will help generate an additional 800 affordable senior homes. This will raise the total City commitment for newly constructed senior housing to $687 million from now to the end of the housing plan.
«The Fiscal Year 2020 Adopted Budget creates greater fairness for all New Yorkers. We’ve reached an agreement that promises to create a pathway to pay parity for our early childhood education providers to address recruitment and retention issues, expands services that prevent unnecessary detention and fights the widespread national attack on access to abortion care,» said Mayor Bill de Blasio. «We’re also strengthening our support services in schools by providing over 200 social workers for students who need them most, fulfilling our commitment to senior affordable housing and putting our new expanded speed camera program into action. We’re accomplishing all of this while protecting the City’s fiscal health by increasing savings and adding $250 million to our already historic levels of budget reserves. I want to thank Council Speaker Corey Johnson, Finance Chair Daniel Dromm and the rest of the City Council for their partnership.»
As part of the budget agreement, the City is making a commitment to work with early childcare providers and their labor unions to create a pathway to pay parity to address recruitment and retention issues through collective bargaining. Similarly, in recognition of critical role legal defense attorneys play in the justice system, the City will continue conversations with providers to address compensation, recruitment and retention.
The Administration and the City Council have jointly funded justice reform initiatives that address historic disparities in the justice system. This includes an expansion of criminal justice related diversion programs, such as post-arrest diversion, supervised release and transitional housing.
In order to make sure that every New Yorker is counted in the 2020 Census and the city gets its fair share, the Administration has deepened its investment in outreach staff and public awareness campaigns.
The FY20 Adopted Budget also maintains $1.15 billion in General Reserve, an increase of $150 million, $4.57 billion in Retiree Health Benefits Trust Fund, an increase of $100 million, and $250 million in the Capital Stabilization Reserve.
As part of the City’s aggressive savings program, the Adopted Budget includes over $300 million in new savings, on top of the $2.5 billion achieved in the Citywide Savings Program over Fiscal Years 2019 and 2020 since last Adoption. These savings were, in part, attained through the Administration’s first Program to Eliminate the Gap (PEG), and a permanent reduction of 2,600 City-funded positions. 325 additional vacancies will be reduced in this plan, adding $25 million in savings. The Citywide Savings Plan is an element of strong fiscal management, and helps balance the City’s budget and finance initiatives in an era of slowing revenue growth.
Highlights of the Fiscal Year 2020 Adopted Budget include:
Placing 200 additional social workers in DOE schools, including mental health specialists, to help support students and provide necessary social and emotional support ($26 million).
Investing jointly with the City Council in an expansion of criminal justice related diversion programs, such as post arrest diversion, supervised release and transitional housing.
Installing low noise «rumbler» sirens on FDNY vehicles to help reduce noise pollution ($1.5 million).
Funding for Vision Zero public awareness campaigns to educate drivers and support pedestrian and cyclist safety ($5 million).
Launching NYC Care to guarantee healthcare access for 600,000 uninsured New Yorkers and enhance MetroPlus, NYC’s Public Option, by increasing enrollment and improving access to care, including mental health services ($25 million in Fiscal Year 2020, ramping up to $100 million in Fiscal Year 2022).
Expanding 3-K for All by funding 1,900 new seats in the Bronx (District 8) and Brooklyn (District 32) for next school year. This investment brings 3-K to 14 districts and 20,000 children by September 2020, and includes the 10 highest-need districts in the city ($25 million).
Increasing Mayoral funding for 2020 Census outreach staff and public awareness campaigns to ensure a fair and accurate count that gives New York City its fair share ($22 million for a total Mayoral investment of $26 million).
Fulfilling a commitment to energy efficiency with green technology by retrofitting City buildings as part of NYC’s Green New Deal ($60 million).
Providing annual funding for the «Bridging the Gap» program that provides social services and academic support for students in shelters ($14 million).