It’s been a busy few weeks for a lot of elected officials. But now, even as votes are being tallied, it’s time to get to work.

“A lot of Council members understandably had to focus on the election right in front of them,” the mayor said earlier this week. “It was hard for people to put in quite as much time as they normally would into a budget.”


What You Need To Know

  • The city budget is due next week

  • In April, the mayor proposed a record-breaking $98.6 billion fiscal plan

  • Sources say the final deal could surpass $100 billion

The City Council and the de Blasio administration are in the final days of budget negotiations. One source close to the negotiations said a final deal could come within days. The budget is due by the end of the month.

In April, the mayor released his final budget proposal — the largest in the city’s history at $98.6 billion. Buoyed by $14.2 billion in federal aid from Washington, the city’s fiscal picture is much rosier than what it could be. In fact, sources say since that presentation personal income tax revenues are coming in higher than expected, perhaps a good sign the city is in the road to recovery.

So no doubt the mayor is trying to push legacy-making proposals through. Already, he has proposed making his 3-k program universal (it would take effect almost two years after he leaves office). He has said the city will expand composting and massively boost education spending.

“It’s not a contentious moment,” the mayor said on Thursday of negotiations. “There has been lots of negotiation over weeks and weeks. And as of this moment, I think, it’s leading us to a good place."

The council’s finance chairman agrees.

"I feel it’s fairly amicable,” said Queens Councilman Daniel Dromm. “The process we're going through right now is one where we are working cooperatively with the administration."

The Council, too, is trying to get major proposals in on the final months before many leave office. Dromm, for instance, wants to add $250 million to the budget to reduce class size. 

Even if the negotiations are friendly, final details and numbers are still being worked out, including how large the council's discretionary funding pot doled out to local community groups will be. That said, sources expect an on-time deal.