Mayor de Blasio unveiled an $84.7 billion budget proposal for the City, his last before facing re-election this fall. It’s nearly $3 billion more than his preliminary blueprint last year, and overall a $12 billion increase since the Mayor took office in 2014. The budget presentation highlighted funding for the NYPD, public housing and infrastructure, but did not address homelessness. The City is increasing its spending from $70 million last fiscal year to $150 million in 2018 to deal with increased costs at homeless shelters, which is seeing record levels.
Also looming over his address was the possible effects of a Trump presidency on the City’s budget outlook, which was described as a “deep uncertainty at the federal level.” Mayor de Blasio did not offer details on how the City would handle any federal funding cuts, but said the budget “focuses on what we can do for ourselves while we wait to see the shape of things in Washington.” More details could be in his revised budget proposal in April; a final budget is due in June. The Mayor did however pledge to work with the City Council to protect undocumented immigrants from any potential large federal deportation effort. What do you say?
What’s your reaction to Mayor de Blasio’s $84.7 billion blueprint for New York City? Do you welcome spending $80 million more on homeless shelters and $317 million more on Vision Zero traffic safety improvements? What areas do you want to see increased spending, and where would you like to see less of your taxpayer dollars go to? Do you welcome the City’s efforts to protect undocumented immigrants? Are you concerned about deep funding cuts to the City during Donald Trump’s presidency?
Kimberly’s Thoughts
Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us tonight. Our Twitter poll indicated that 36 percent of you were hopeful that Mayor de Blasio would allocate the most resources towards housing and homelessness in his 2018 City budget. For a Mayor who has centered much of his campaign around combating the City’s homeless crisis, it’s certainly very odd that he did not the address the issue in more detail this afternoon.
Your thoughts posted below.
Viewer E-mails
There are 560 homebound seniors on waiting lists for home care and 1800 seniors waiting for a case manager to come to their home. Mayor de Blasio's budget added no new money to take any senior off a waiting list. This is a woman's issue. Most seniors are women and most of their family caregivers are women. Why doesn't the mayor fund the waiting lists?
Bobbie
Sheepshead Bay
This is obviously a budget dictated by the election calendar, which is understandable, though hardly admirable -- those kind of spending increases are unsustainable and may not even be achievable, given the situation in Washington, and the enmity that de Blasio has engendered from the Republican conference in the State Senate in Albany. As to his ideas about protecting undocumented immigrants from deportation efforts by the federal government, while I sympathize with that sentiment and the feelings behind it, it's bewildering what legal theories our non-lawyer mayor is entertaining to pursue such a goal, if push comes to shove. Any notion of New York continuing as a so-called "sanctuary city" could get very costly for those of us who work and pay taxes here, if the Congress and the president decide to cut off federal funds in retaliation.
And the more I think about it as I write this letter, I find myself thinking that perhaps Mrs. Clinton running for mayor of New York would, indeed, be a good thing -- we need practical leadership, not budgets based on wishful thinking and fuzzy math.
Bruce
Upper West Side
Manhattan
I didn't read about him allocating any money for Transportation, it's great the 2 ave subway is finished with Phase 1 but phase 2 and 3 have to be finished also.. Some of the money that's set aide for Vision Zero can be used to fund the capital projects that the MTA has to finish. The top leaders at NYCHA should be fired, they're not fixing the tenants apartments at all, every time I warch the news on another station, my friend Monica Morales is exposing the NYCHA buildings that have run down apartments that have no hot water and rats and roaches, the kids shouldn't be living in that kind of environment, New people should be in the NYCHA front office.. New people should be in the NYSDOH front office too, the home attendants that are working for the city have no respect for the clients, it's not right at all... My aunt used to be a home attendant, she has respect for her clients... She's retired now God bless her and my family.
Herman
Upper West Side
Deblasio has no one to blame but himself. By thumbing his nose at the new president he is hurting all New Yorkers when it comes to getting aid from Washington DC.
He should try to make an effort to work with the president not attack him.
Raybo
UWS
definitely an election year budget. and we need to curb giving funds to undocumented persons. let them apply to be legal at some point. and he needs to take page from cuomo try to work with new pres. trump as oppose to just being stubborn, bending will help new york. but we need new leadership. herb in harlem
President Trump is a concern for everyone. Budget issues are the least to worry about.
Rob, east village
If the Mayor and his family would be impacted by the cut in Federal Funding this Mayor would not be so fast to jeopradize tax paying legal citizens of NY to suffer because of his so called "sanctuary city". I hope the Gov will step in and stop this nonsense.
Charlene Midwood
Stringer is running for mayor, quel supre.
Rob, east village
This budget does not include any raises for NYPD Officers!
4 years + without a contract
Sanctuary city needs to end for illegal aliens. Everyone is welcome here but they need to come legally like our ancestors. Enough of our tax dollars being wasted on illegals getting welfare, healthcare, etc.
Eileen
Rockaway Park, NY
There should be no support for any sanctuary city. How soon do we forget in 1985 when new york needed assistance and President Ford told ny to Drop Dead. Any money to care for illegals should could come from the mayor private fund as well as the city council who backs this crime act. Cal from Bushwick, Brooklyn.
I'd like to see money spent on fixing the roads in NYC... this way, traffic flows freely preventing people from rushing due to traffic pile ups... and causing more pedestrians to have to worrry about crossing the streets.
Also, the city needs to be, once again, responsible for payouts for damage done to vehicles by potholes that sit untended to for long periods of time.
THANK YOU
Michael
They are seriously considering bulletproof glass for police cars? When was the last time a cop was hit by a sniper? The answer is never which means bulletproof glass is a total of waste of time and money. Better to spend on improved police training. They need that.
Michael and Greenpoint
Am hoping that Trump remove the individual mandate. It's a shame that a country as the United States frighten civilians with a penalty for not have healthcare. In my option the government should not interfere in the lives of people especially the health of individuals which is personal. People do have the right to chose their own healthcare that accommodates them. I have not heard of any place on this planet that the government impose a penalty on their civilian for not having healthcare. This is the most insensitive law that I have ever heard of.
Sabrina
Remember Officer Ramos & Officer Liu were executed in their patrol car Bullet proof glass is a good thing Stop taking NYPD Officers for granted
Philip
Rockaway Park
I agree with caller Joan. There should be a real focus on things that affect everyday New Yorkers.
Reduce homeless population through real housing
Make affordable housing for middle class New Yorkers. THe cut off of 40,000 or so is too low and omits lots of folks who need the help
Safety via community policing...walking the beat. Is what will help
Clean those nasty subways, regularly
We are a city of high ideals but we need the focus on basics now
Why is our progressive liberal mayor not willing to work cohesively with our conservative President?
Why keep NY C as a sanctuary city? How will that help us all?
Moxie in midtown