Eric Adams unveils $111.6B NYC budget that restores $515M for schools, two NYPD classes
Mayor Eric Adams unveiled a $111.6 billion executive budget for fiscal year 2025 that restores $515 million in school funding and will put more cops on Big Apple streets — but falls short of plugging more than $58 million in cuts for libraries.
The proposed spending plan, released by City Hall on Wednesday, came in at $2.2 billion above the preliminary budget announced in January and carves out billions for the city’s migrant crisis.
The plan, which is $4 billion more than the current budget, benefited from higher-than-expected tax revenues and proactive cuts in city spending critics contend were premature and unnecessary.
“The real challenge we had coming into office in 2022 was sunsetting of programs, and also we had to look at the realization that all of our union contracts were outstanding,” Adams said at a press conference.
“And to add to that, we got the asylum seekers, so that created a real crisis,” the mayor said. “If we didn’t start early with our [Programs to Eliminate the Gap] we would have had a challenging time.”
Adams hailed his administration for getting the jump on budget cuts and curbing migrant costs, specifically the 30- and 60-day shelter limits he put in place.
The pact also funds pre-kindergarten outreach, noting that 23,000 slots were left empty.
The plan sets aside $92 million for the 3-K program and another $74 million for mental health services in the schools.
The budget also restores two NYPD classes that will see more officers patrolling city streets, Adams said.
City Hall announced draconian cuts in the fall, including a planned series of 5% cuts to city agency budgets in anticipation of spiking costs of handling the migrant crisis — the administration’s PEGs.
He said the PEGs saved the city $7.2 billion.
“We had a total of $1.5 billion in stimulus cliff,” the mayor said. “How do you put in $1.5 billion of temporary dollars into permanent programs? We had to go in and say, how do we fund these?
“These were real rough decisions we had to make. There was no joy in making them.”
Adams said Wednesday that many of those measures proved unnecessary — calling it an example of smart fiscal planning at a time when a budget crisis seemed imminent.
The city budgeted $3.8 billion for the migrant mess last year and is proposing $4.8 billion for next year.
Meanwhile, the NYPD budget — $6.5 billion — remains on par with the current fiscal plan, although only half of the canceled academy classes have been fully funded with 1,200 recruits to be added.
The administration predicts a uniformed headcount of 35,000 by the end of the next year, but if current attrition rates continue, the NYPD would need all four academy classes to come close to that figure.
“I am encouraged that,” City Comptroller Brad Landers said, “with the additional projected revenue of $2.3 billion, New York City will be able to maintain funding for stimulus-funded foundational education programs— like 3K and Pre-K, Summer Rising, community schools, and shelter-based community coordinators.”
In a joint statement, City Council leaders said “significant work remains” on the new budget plan.
“We are disappointed that critical support for key mental health services, programs to reduce recidivism and libraries that our city desperately need are not included in the executive budget,” wrote Council Speaker Adrienne Adams and council Finance Chair Justin Brannan.
Lawmakers are calling for $1.63 billion to be earmarked for essential services, and $3 billion to be set aside “to protect against fiscal risks and under-budgeted costs.”
The council also wants a $500 million “rainy day fund” to ensure a $1 billion budget surplus remains in place.
