Mayor Bill de Blasio and the city council announced Monday evening that they had reached a budget agreement for the next fiscal year, including funding for reduced-price MetroCards for low-income New Yorkers and short-term funding for subway repairs.

"The budget is an expression of values and it's a roadmap for our future," the mayor said, pegging it as an extension of his second term pledge to make New York the fairest big city in the United States.

"FAIR FARES" FUNDING

$106 million will be included in the 2019 fiscal year budget for reduced-price MetroCards for low-income New Yorkers.

"'Fair Fares' isn't a piecemeal public policy designed to chip away an inequality," City Council Speaker Corey Johnson said. "We hope it is the first significant step towards obliterating this problem when it comes to mass transit accessibility. This is for poor New Yorkers; this is not an MTA subsidy."

A monthly MetroCard costs $121. That is more than $1,400 to ride the rails over the course of a year.

"Fair Fares" has been a priority of Johnson in his first few months as the city council speaker, as advocates have pushed the city to help low-income New Yorkers.

Johnson said the "Fair Fares" program will start Jan. 1 and will last for only six months.

Johnson said the city will review the program after the six months to see if it works before possibly agreeing to add additional funding.

The city said the money for "Fair Fares" will be administered by the city and the money will not go to the MTA.

The mayor said if any of the $106 million is not spent in 2019, the remaining money will be reserved for the following fiscal year.

The mayor had supported the idea in theory, but had argued the money wasn't there. There are as of yet virtually no details on how the plan would work, beginning with eligibility requirements.

SHORT-TERM FUNDING FOR SUBWAY REPAIRS

The budget includes a one-time payment for repairs to the subway system. The city on Monday did not specify how much that would be, but in late-March, a spokesman for de Blasio said the city would contribute $418 million to the $800 million emergency repair plan. The state agreed to pay the other part of the $800 million plan as part of the state budget deal that Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the state legislature reached a few months ago.

Johnson praised the short-term funding, but urged the mayor to work with the council to work on a long-term plan.

De Blasio, meanwhile, reiterated Monday his desire for a "Millionaire's Tax" and more funding from the state to establish long-term funding.

NYCHA REPAIRS

The budget includes funding for a settlement with federal investigators to repair conditions in city public housing. The first billion dollars will be paid out over the first four years, with the remaining billion paid in the years that follow.

The 2019 fiscal year budget also includes $200 million to upgrade heating systems at NYCHA developments and $13 million for short-term heating upgrades for the next winter.

$225 MILLION SET ASIDE FOR THE CITY'S RESERVES

The city will set aside $225 million for the reserves in the 2019 fiscal year budget to bring the reserves total to $9.9 billion.

 

 

OTHER HIGHLIGHTS

  • Funding will be set aside to increase the number of new districts for the 3-K program over the next two years to 12 districts.
  • $12 million in funding will be in the budget to equip all NYPD patrol officers with body cameras by the end of the year.
  • $9.6 million to maintain city parks.
  • $1.7 million to extend the opening of beach and pool season.