The New York City Council is the legislative body of the city government, responsible for enacting local laws, overseeing city agencies, and negotiating the municipal budget with the Mayor. This page covers CBC’s work on the Council’s role in the city budget process, land use and rezoning policies, legislative fiscal impact transparency, municipal workforce management, and long-term fiscal planning.
This page was created with AICBC Insights uses AI to group, analyze and present data and recommendations from CBC's publications. Always reference the cited sources to verify important details..
Merge the Community Board and Borough President advisory reviews into a single review under the Borough President to make the advisory stage shorter and more productive.
Allow applicants to appeal actions rejected by the City Council to a ULURP Appeals Board consisting of the City Planning Commission and Council Speaker to balance citywide needs and neighborhood concerns.
Focus ULURP on zoning and shift review of non-zoning actions and modest rezoning applications with no adverse impacts to City agencies or commissions.
Implement a supermajority vote of 10 of the 14 members for the proposed ULURP Appeals Board to override City Council rejections.
Establish time limits for administrative reviews to ensure that agencies review projects in a timely manner.
Key Data
In July 2026, the CBC reported that a proposed City Council bill, Intro 692-A, would bypass the budget process and add $325 million in spending just two weeks after the budget was adopted.
In December 2024, the CBC noted that compromises demanded by the City Council to pass the City of Yes for Housing Opportunity cut nearly 30,000 potential units from the plan while securing $5 billion in budget commitments.
In October 2024, the CBC explained that proposed Charter revisions would require the City Council to publish a Fiscal Impact Statement (FIS) at or before any committee hearing and notify the budget office 8 days prior, whereas previous rules only required an FIS before a full vote.
In February 2024, the CBC reported that the City Council's veto override to expand the CityFHEPS voucher program was estimated by the administration to cost $17 billion over 5 years, while the Council's own estimate was $10.6 billion.
In April 2023, the CBC noted that the City Council typically adds $400 million or more in its own initiatives during the annual budget adoption process.
Opposing the proposed City Council bill Intro 692-A is crucial because legislating employee compensation outside of collective bargaining would bypass the budget process and add $325 million in unplanned spending. If passed, this legislation could set a dangerous precedent, prompting other unions to seek similar off-cycle compensation increases and exposing the city to substantial future costs.
Recommendations related to New York City Council
The City Council should reject Intro 692-A.
If the bill is passed by the City Council, the Mayor should veto it.
The City should continue to determine employee compensation at the bargaining table, not the legislative chamber.
Key Data
$325 million
— Additional spending that would be added just two weeks after the budget was adopted if the bill is passed.
Citizens Budget Commission held its 94th annual gala—a must-attend event for New York's business and Civic Leaders—on March 5th, 2026. CBC honored Lazard CEO and Chairman Peter Orszag with the Medal for High Civic Service, given to a current or former public servant who exemplifies CBC’s values and a dedication…
51 is the number of members in the New York City Council. Six weeks before the Council was scheduled to vote on its next leader, Council Member Julie Menin announced herself the presumptive Speaker after garnering the support of a supermajority of her council colleagues. On this episode of What's…
For more photos visit https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjCDmXj For more photos visit https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjCDmXj For more photos visit https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjCDmXj
CBC's Andrew Rein was joined by NYC Director of City Planning Dan Garodnick and NYCEDC President & CEO Andrew Kimball for a wide-ranging discussion on job and population trends, housing affordability, and economic development in a time of uncertainty. Dan Garodnick is Director of the New York City Department of…
The current land use review process is overly long, expensive, and uncertain, adding $82,000 to the cost of each housing unit and discouraging development. Proposed reforms include streamlining advisory reviews, shifting non-zoning actions to administrative agencies, and creating an appeals process for projects rejected by the City Council.
Recommendations related to New York City Council
Merge the Community Board and Borough President advisory reviews into a single review under the Borough President to make the advisory stage shorter and more productive.
Allow applicants to appeal actions rejected by the City Council to a ULURP Appeals Board consisting of the City Planning Commission and Council Speaker to balance citywide needs and neighborhood concerns.
Focus ULURP on zoning and shift review of non-zoning actions and modest rezoning applications with no adverse impacts to City agencies or commissions.
Implement a supermajority vote of 10 of the 14 members for the proposed ULURP Appeals Board to override City Council rejections.
Establish time limits for administrative reviews to ensure that agencies review projects in a timely manner.
Key Data
2 to 3 years
— The current time required for private rezoning application approval.
$82,000
— The added cost to each housing unit in 2025 dollars due to the current land use process.
90 days
— The current combined time required for Community Board and Borough President advisory reviews.
14 months
— The median time to approve dispositions of City-owned land through the Urban Development Action Area Program.
15 percent
— The minimum cost increase for small residential buildings caused by the current review process.
5 months
— The amount of time that would be saved if projects went through an administrative review instead of ULURP.
New York City's land use review process is hindered by the City Council's practice of member deference, which prioritizes neighborhood concerns over citywide needs and increases uncertainty for housing and job development. For instance, compromises demanded by the City Council to approve the City of Yes for Housing Opportunity plan cut nearly 30,000 potential housing units from the proposal.
Recommendations related to New York City Council
Balancing citywide needs and neighborhood concerns should not be circumvented by member deference, which is a cultural and policy choice of the City Council.
Changes are needed to better balance citywide needs and neighborhood concerns while maintaining the City Council's and individual Councilmembers' important roles in the process.
Key Data
nearly 30,000
— Potential housing units cut from the City of Yes for Housing Opportunity plan due to compromises demanded by the City Council to secure their approval.
The City Council's recent approval of the "City of Yes" housing plan, while a positive step, addresses only one-fifth of the city's housing needs and requires further action to boost production in excluded neighborhoods. Additionally, the $5 billion in spending commitments secured by the Council must be offset by budget reductions to avoid exacerbating the projected $8 billion fiscal year 2026 budget gap.
Recommendations related to New York City Council
The City Council and the Administration should develop and implement plans that will boost even more production all across the City and especially in neighborhoods carved out of the final City of Yes deal.
The new operating budget spending secured by the City Council must be paid for with reduced spending elsewhere or it will widen already huge budget gaps, potentially driving budget cuts.
Key Data
nearly 30,000
— potential housing units cut from the City of Yes agreement.
$5 billion
— in commitments secured by the City Council as part of the compromise.
$8 billion
— the fiscal year 2026 budget gap when underbudgeted services are taken into account.
one-fifth
— of New York City’s needed additional housing production that the City of Yes will yield.
Question 3 on the ballot proposes requiring the City Council to publish Fiscal Impact Statements for legislation before committee hearings, a change intended to improve transparency and informed decision-making. While this requirement may increase the Council's workload and limit scheduling flexibility, the benefits of having cost estimates during the debate process are considered to outweigh these potential drawbacks.
Recommendations related to New York City Council
Voters should support a 'yes' vote on Question 3 because requiring the publication of Fiscal Impact Statements before committee hearings will enhance the quality of legislative deliberations and decisions.
Key Data
8 days
— The amount of time the City Council must notify the Mayor’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB) before an upcoming hearing.
3 days
— The deadline by which the Mayor’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB) must provide its own estimate of a bill’s fiscal impact to be included in the Council's Fiscal Impact Statement.
6 to 4 months
— The reduction in the time allotted for the formal response and revision process involving the City Planning Commission and Borough Presidents regarding the Ten-Year Capital Strategy.
January 16 to February 1
— The shift in the Preliminary Budget release date in the first year following a mayoral election.
April 26 to May 1
— The shift in the Executive Budget release date.
$116 billion is the total NYC adopted budget for FY 2025, including the $4 billion of FY25 bills that were prepaid. This year’s budget talks between the Mayor and City Council took several twists and turns, ending with the narrowly on-time arrival of an adopted budget. New York City Council…
The New York City Charter should be amended to improve fiscal oversight by requiring more accurate budget estimates, stricter debt service limits, and mandatory explanations for significant variances in financial projections. Additionally, the City Council's legislative process needs reform, including earlier fiscal impact statements and independent validation for high-cost programs to ensure alignment between lawmaking and budget appropriations.
Recommendations related to New York City Council
The Charter should require a city resident survey every five years that is statistically significant at the neighborhood, race/ethnicity, and income-band level.
The Charter should require a local law that ensures the City’s Rainy Day Fund is grown and used for its intended purpose to protect New Yorkers from dramatic cuts during a recession or short-term emergency.
The Charter should limit debt service to 15 percent of City tax revenue to ensure long-term debt does not crowd out operating budget priorities.
The City Council should produce Fiscal Impact Statements earlier in the process to improve how the City considers the future budget impact of legislation.
The Independent Budget Office should produce an independent fiscal impact statement or validate the Council’s for programs that will cost more than $100 million in any year of the financial plan.
Fiscal Impact Statements should disclose whether the cost of a proposed law can be accommodated within the current budget and financial plan.
High-cost local laws should take effect once funds are modified into the budget or negotiated in budget adoption.
The Charter should require a detailed explanation of the causes of significant annual change when tax revenues or major program expenditures are projected to change more than 10 percent in any year.
The Charter should require a detailed explanation when Executive estimates vary more than 20 percent from estimates by the City or State Comptrollers.
Key Data
$100 million
— Threshold for programs requiring an independent fiscal impact statement or validation by the Independent Budget Office.
15 percent
— Proposed limit on debt service relative to City tax revenue to prevent crowding out operating budget priorities.
10 percent
— Threshold for projected changes in tax revenues or major program expenditures requiring a detailed explanation of causes.
20 percent
— Threshold for variance between Executive estimates and City or State Comptroller estimates requiring a detailed explanation.
five years
— Frequency requirement for a statistically significant city resident survey.
The document proposes specific revisions to the New York City Charter to improve fiscal integrity, management efficiency, and resident feedback mechanisms. Key recommendations include mandating earlier publication of fiscal impact statements for legislation, establishing stricter rules for the Rainy Day Fund and Retiree Health Benefits Trust, and requiring a recurring, statistically valid resident feedback survey.
Recommendations related to New York City Council
The Charter should require fiscal impact statements be published earlier in the legislative process to give Council members and the public a reasonable estimate of the cost of a proposed policy.
The Charter should include clearly defined rules governing the Rainy Day Fund to ensure reserves are built and used only as appropriate.
The Charter should be revised to establish the Retiree Health Benefits Trust to ensure there is a fund to accumulate resources to pay for the City’s long-term OPEB liability.
The Charter’s requirement that revenue and expenditure estimates be reasonable and appropriate should be bolstered to prevent the understating of expenditures.
To help ensure that long-term debt is affordable, the Charter should limit debt service to 15 percent of tax revenues.
The Charter should establish a basic performance management framework to drive administrations to implement a comprehensive system that spans all agencies and initiatives.
The City Charter should require the City to conduct and publish a statistically valid resident feedback survey at least every five years.
Key Data
$10 billion
— Estimated cost of expanding eligibility for the City's Family Homelessness and Eviction Prevention Supplement (FHEPS) program over five years.
$730 million
— Amount the City Council projected the FHEPS expansion bills would save the City in costs from homelessness and its impacts.
$100.3 billion
— Total OPEB liability the City is responsible for.
4.8%
— Percentage of the City's OPEB liability covered by the current RHBT balance.
$3.7 billion
— Annual additional deposit required to fund the normal cost of future retiree benefits.
$2.0 billion
— Estimated overtime spending at uniformed agencies by the end of fiscal year 2024.
The fiscal implications of the nearly quarter-trillion-dollar state budget and the outlook for upcoming city budget negotiations are discussed in a recent podcast. The conversation covers the state's spending plan and the anticipated challenges in the city's financial planning process.
The New York City Council must ensure that the fiscal year 2025 budget is transparent and fully funds ongoing programs to avoid a precarious fiscal future. By prioritizing high-impact services and accurately reflecting costs, the Council can prevent the need for sudden, harmful spending cuts and maintain long-term fiscal stability.
Recommendations related to New York City Council
The City Council should ensure that proposals to add or modify spending are affordable and do not make the City budget even more fiscally precarious.
The City Council must ensure that the City fully funds the programs it plans to deliver to accurately reflect the spending plan.
The City Council should prioritize funding the current level of City FHEPS vouchers before adding or expanding this or other programs.
The City Council must ensure the budget is transparent and completely and accurately funds the City’s current programs and the full cost of desired program expansions.
Key Data
$3.6 billion
— The amount by which proposed spending in fiscal year 2025 is short to continue the current level of services.
$8.8 billion to $9.7 billion
— The projected future budget gaps, even without expanding City FHEPS or complying with the State class size reduction law.
$800 million
— The expected cost to support the current level of City FHEPS vouchers this year.
$150 million
— The amount budgeted for City FHEPS vouchers next year, which is significantly lower than the expected costs.
$10.2 billion
— The total resources found across fiscal years 2024 and 2025 through higher revenue, reserves, and spending reductions.
$1.45 billion
— The amount of in-year budgetary reserves, which is far exceeded by the level of underfunded ongoing programs.
The New York City Council plays a critical role in determining the city's fiscal stability and must ensure that any proposals for added spending are affordable by fully funding or reducing existing planned programs. The council's recent override of the mayor's veto regarding the CityFHEPS voucher program could increase costs by between $10.6 billion and $17.0 billion over five years, highlighting the need for fiscal responsibility.
Recommendations related to New York City Council
The City Council should ensure that its proposals for added or modified spending are affordable based on fully funding or reducing the current set of planned programs.
The City Council should do its part to ensure the budget fully funds planned programs or transparently shrinks or eliminates ones for which there are not resources.
The City Council should only consider expansions after ensuring the budget fully funds planned programs and identifying additional resources.
Key Data
$17.0 billion
— The estimated cost increase of the CityFHEPS voucher program over 5 years following the City Council’s override of the Mayor’s veto.
$10.6 billion
— The City Council's own estimate for the 5-year cost of the CityFHEPS voucher program expansion.
$3.6 billion
— The amount of funding needed in fiscal year 2025 to fully fund current and planned service levels, which is currently excluded from projected spending.
$2.5 billion
— The amount added to the fiscal year 2024 budget to fund fiscal cliff programs and underbudgeted expenses.
$4.3 billion is the Adams' Administration's estimate of the cost to house and provide services to asylum seekers this and next year. But that is only a small portion of the City's fiscal challenges. NYC Budget Director Jacques Jiha joined the CBC to discuss the fiscal year 2024 Executive Budget,…
The Fiscal Year 2024 Executive Budget faces significant long-term deficits, with projected shortfalls reaching $10.0 billion by fiscal year 2027 when accounting for underbudgeted programs and expiring federal aid. To address these fiscal challenges, the City must prioritize essential services and improve operational efficiency, especially as $400 million or more in City Council initiatives are typically added during the adoption process.
Recommendations related to New York City Council
The City should immediately start to prioritize essential programs, increase its operational efficiency, speed up critical hiring, and shrink lower impact programs.
The City should be shifting existing vacancies to where they are needed, not adding new positions.
The City should make every effort it can immediately and include additional savings in the Adopted Budget.
Key Data
$400 million
— The amount or more in City Council initiatives that are typically added during the budget adoption process.
$10.0 billion
— The projected future shortfall by fiscal year 2027 when accounting for underbudgeted programs and expiring federal aid.
23,000
— The number of existing vacancies in the City, despite which the budget adds new positions.
$6.8 billion
— The projected future shortfall by fiscal year 2025 when accounting for underbudgeted programs and expiring federal aid.
$4.7 billion
— The amount of additional revenues over two years used to balance the budget.
82 percent
— The portion of the Program to Eliminate the Gap (PEG) savings that is offset by new spending.
Speaker Adams leads the most diverse and first women-majority Council in city history as the body’s first African American Speaker. She is also the first woman to represent Council District 28, which includes the neighborhoods of Jamaica, Richmond Hill, Rochdale Village, and South Ozone Park. Speaker Adams previously served as…
New York City faces a potential $9 billion fiscal disaster by 2026 due to existing budget gaps, rising employee costs, and looming fiscal cliffs. To avoid service cuts or tax increases, city leadership must prioritize fiscal discipline, increase service efficiency, and resist expanding programs with one-time federal aid or additional tax revenue.
Recommendations related to New York City Council
The mayor and council must resist the temptation to use additional tax revenue to expand services.
The city should schedule $500 million annual deposits to the Rainy Day Fund, which could come from the budgeted General and Capital Stabilization Reserves.
The city must lower costs, ideally by improving efficiency or by reducing lower impact programs.
The city should reduce costs without reducing services by streamlining processes, leveraging technology and fostering cross-agency collaboration that eliminates redundancy.
The city should use this next round of collective bargaining contracts to further increase productivity, which would generate savings to fund raises and stabilize the budget.
Key Data
$9 billion
— recipe for fiscal disaster by 2026 if nothing is done to address budget gaps, employee raises, and fiscal cliffs
$17 billion
— potential three-year revenue shortfall if the city experiences another recession
$1.5 billion
— annual savings that would be generated by a 3% Program to Eliminate the Gap for Productivity
$900 million
— total of fiscal cliffs next year where ongoing programs are funded with nonrecurring city and federal COVID-19 funds
$2 billion
— total of fiscal cliffs by fiscal year 2026
$1.4 billion
— amount by which the adopted budget usually exceeds the preliminary budget
The New York City Police Department's fiscal year 2023 budget is projected to reach $10.8 billion, with significant reliance on federal aid to offset reductions in city-funded operating expenses. Despite planned budget adjustments, the department faces potential overspending on overtime, which is projected to reach $742 million in fiscal year 2022, necessitating stricter managerial controls.
Recommendations related to New York City Council
Significant managerial controls will be necessary to keep uniformed overtime closer to budgeted levels this year and next.
Key Data
$10.8 billion
— Projected fiscal year 2023 NYPD budget, including both the department’s operating budget and central expenses.
$742 million
— Projected fiscal year 2022 overtime spending, which is closer to pre-pandemic levels.
$434 million
— Amount included in the fiscal year 2023 budget for overtime.
35,030
— Authorized uniformed headcount for the NYPD throughout the financial plan.
5,290
— Number of School Safety personnel remaining within the NYPD after the reversal of the planned transfer to the Department of Education.
2.2 percent
— The NYPD's fiscal year 2022 Program to Eliminate the Gap (PEG) as a percentage of the department’s City-funded operating budget.
Brad Lander is the NYC Comptroller-elect and current member of the New York City Council, representing the 39th District in Brooklyn. He serves as the Council’s Deputy Leader for Policy, and he co-founded the Council’s Progressive Caucus. Prior to serving in the City Council, Brad directed the Pratt Center for…
$103.3 billion is the total amount of spending authorized by the City Council for Fiscal Year 2022. While officials call it a budget of $98.3 billion, the larger figure reflects the full amount to be expended, including $6 billion available from the prior year due to higher than expected tax…
8,200 is the number of new housing units that could be created by the proposed rezoning of Gowanus, Brooklyn. Councilmember Brad Lander joins "What's the [DATA] Point?" to discuss the rezoning plan and make the case for comprehensive planning.
20,000 is the number of jobs that could be potentially created by proposed rezoning of Industry City, a sprawling retail, office, and manufacturing complex in Sunset Park, Brooklyn. But this week the developer pulled the plug on the proposal after negotiations with stakeholders came to a standstill. What went wrong,…
16,000 is the number of New York City students in Gifted & Talented programs, which the School Diversity Advisory Group recommended phasing out. David Tipson, Executive Director of Appleseed, and City Council Member Robert Cornegy discuss the report’s findings and recommendations.
The proposed establishment of commercial waste zones in New York City aims to reduce inefficient truck traffic and improve industry standards by having fewer carters serve contiguous areas. A non-exclusive zone model is recommended over an exclusive one to preserve market competition, maintain customer choice, and mitigate the financial risks to the city if a contractor fails to perform.
Recommendations related to New York City Council
The City should establish commercial waste zones to increase collection efficiency and reduce negative externalities.
The City should implement a non-exclusive commercial waste zone model to retain customer choice and maintain performance incentives.
The City's request for proposals should include detailed performance metrics to be tracked and made publicly available to inform future program modifications.
Key Data
50 percent
— The reduction in vehicle miles traveled (VMT) expected by transitioning from the current system to a zone model.
58 percent
— The overall reduction in vehicle miles traveled (VMT) under an exclusive zone model.
8 percentage points
— The incremental benefit of exclusive zones over a non-exclusive model in terms of VMT reduction.
86 percent
— The portion of potential VMT reduction that could be achieved through a non-exclusive zone model.
20
— The number of commercial waste zones proposed to be established under Intro 1574.
3 to 5
— The number of carters proposed to serve each zone under the non-exclusive model.
The 2019 Charter Revision Commission, initiated by the New York City Council, has an opportunity to improve government structure by focusing on transparency and efficiency rather than policy-specific mandates. By removing obsolete provisions and simplifying the 300-plus page document, the Commission can create a more effective framework for governmental decision-making.
Recommendations related to New York City Council
The 2019 Commission should broaden its mandate to consider not just additions or amendments to the current Charter, but also simplifications and updates that eliminate obsolete provisions and the need for constant legislative revision.
As part of its top-to-bottom review, the 2019 Commission should have as a goal to clear out the clutter within the Charter.
The 2019 Commission should pursue Charter revisions that simplify and update the document to avoid the shortcomings of recent commissions.
Key Data
300-plus
— The number of pages in the current Charter, which contains overly detailed provisions about operations and the duties of City agencies.
$100
— The dollar cap on fines that can be levied for refusal to allow a building inspector entry to a building.
$10,000
— The dollar cap on fines for violations of private sewage disposal systems.
five
— The number of criteria identified by the 2019 Commissioners for assessing Charter amendments proposed by the public.
eight
— The number of commissions established since 1989 that have offered modest ballot initiatives.
1,988 lbs is the average amount of garbage a NYC household throws out each year. City Council Member Antonio Reynoso, Chair of the Council’s Sanitation Committee, joined to discuss the cost of disposing trash, the capture rate of recyclable materials, commercial waste management, and other important issues related to sanitation…
The New York City Council faces a budget proposal that increases spending by 5.8% and should prioritize fiscal discipline by scrutinizing new agency spending and limiting its own requests to high-impact items. Surplus revenues should be directed toward reducing long-term liabilities, such as the $90 billion retiree health benefit obligation, rather than incurring additional debt.
Recommendations related to New York City Council
The City Council should limit growth in agency spending, confine its own requests to those with the most significant impact, and push to use additional city resources, if any, to make investments with a long-term payoff.
Commissioners should justify new spending, account for the performance of existing programs and specify how they are saving on costs by improving operations.
The City Council should limit its own agenda to those items that provide the most return on investment.
The mayor and Council should make a deposit to the Retiree Health Benefits Trust Fund to help defray the city’s $90 billion obligation for the health benefits of public retirees.
Surplus revenues should be used to purchase capital assets, such as equipment and vehicles, outright instead of incurring new debt.
Key Data
$90.8 billion
— Spending detailed in the fiscal year 2019 executive budget proposal.
$600 million
— Total value of the City Council’s spending requests.
$90 billion
— City’s obligation for the health benefits of public retirees.
$4.25 billion
— Current balance of the Retiree Health Benefits Trust Fund.
$76 billion
— Amount of debt repaid by city tax dollars next year.
$96 billion
— Projected amount of debt repaid by city tax dollars in four years.
CUNY TV Channel 75 The City Council has presented a budget that includes reduced priced Metrocards for low-income New Yorkers and other ideas. Brian discusses this with Citizens Budget Commission president, Carol Kellerman and City Councilman Ydanis Rodriguez.
10 years is the amount of time the de Blasio administration says it will take to shut down Rikers Island. Special guest Michael Jacobson is the executive director of the CUNY Institute for State and Local Governance. He was once the City's Correction Commissioner as well as the Probation Commissioner.…
44 is the number of days left in term-limited Council Member Daniel Garodnick's tenure. Council Member Garodnick has been a voice of reason in the City Council, having raised important questions about the city budget, economic development, and contracts. He chairs the City Council's Committee on Economic Development, is on…
95 is the number of days remaining in the second term of City Council Member Julissa Ferreras-Copeland. Julissa is the first woman, first person of color, and the youngest person to chair the Council’s powerful Committee on Finance, which oversees the adoption of the City’s $85 billion annual budget. This…
New York City has significantly increased funding for preventive services aimed at reducing foster care placements and child maltreatment, yet current public reporting is insufficient to determine if these programs are effective. The City Council should collaborate with the Administration for Children’s Services to implement more rigorous, outcome-based performance metrics to ensure these investments achieve their intended goals.
Recommendations related to New York City Council
The City Council should work with the Administration for Children’s Services to expand the required indicators to measure outcomes rather than just outputs.
Additional investments in preventive services should be contingent on a more thorough understanding of whether these services are achieving the desired outcomes.
The Administration for Children’s Services' performance should be evaluated consistently, using data and metrics, rather than in response to headlines of tragic cases.
Key Data
$313 million
— Total projected spending on preventive services in the Fiscal Year 2018 Adopted Budget.
42 percent
— Increase in spending on preventive services from Mayor Bill de Blasio’s first year in office.
28 percent
— Planned increase in service capacity for preventive slots in fiscal year 2019.
16,000
— Number of available preventive slots expected by fiscal year 2019.
17.0 percent
— Repeat substantiated maltreatment rates that have remained stable over the last 8 years.
63.5 percent
— Decline in foster care entries between fiscal years 2000 and 2016.
The Fiscal Year 2018 Adopted Budget totals $87.3 billion, reflecting a 3.4 percent spending increase despite a partial hiring freeze and concerns regarding rising headcount and compensation costs. While the budget includes $381 million for City Council initiatives, the City is urged to limit new spending and pursue operational efficiencies to enable potential tax and transit fare reductions.
Recommendations related to New York City Council
The City should limit new spending and achieve more savings, tax reductions, and reserves to enable reductions in the Commercial Rent Tax and transit fares.
Any additional raises for employees should be paid for with productivity gains, which also necessitate settling the contracts promptly.
Health insurance contributions from employees and retirees should be on the table during labor negotiations.
Key Data
$87.3 billion
— The Adopted Budget for Fiscal Year 2018, adjusted for prepayments and reserves.
$381 million
— Funding allocated for City Council initiatives in the fiscal year 2018 budget.
$1.45 billion
— The total amount of reserves in fiscal year 2018, an increase of $200 million from the Executive Budget.
329,055
— The expected headcount for the City in fiscal year 2018.
$160,000
— The projected average compensation per employee by fiscal year 2021.
$140,000
— The current average compensation per employee.
ABNY Power Breakfast participants discuss the potential impact of proposed federal policies on the New York budget and the overall economy. Maria Doulis , Vice President, Citizens Budget Commission. Moderator Dean Fuleihan , Director, Mayor's Office of Management and Budget Latonia McKinney , Director, NYC Council Finance Division Preston Niblack , Deputy…
Mayor Bill de Blasio’s Preliminary Budget for Fiscal Year 2018 proposes record municipal spending of $87.1 billion, representing a 17% increase from the previous administration's final budget. With municipal employment reaching 327,000, the City Council must prioritize managing agencies experiencing significant expenditure growth, particularly regarding homelessness and overtime reliance.
Recommendations related to New York City Council
The upcoming deliberations with the City Council should focus on how to better manage agencies with significant expenditure growth.
The City should do more to better manage a range of municipal services.
Key Data
$87.1 billion
— Total municipal spending in fiscal year 2018.
17%
— Increase in spending from Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s last budget.
327,000
— Total municipal employment in fiscal year 2018.
9%
— Increase in municipal employment from January 2014.
18%
— Portion of the Citywide Savings Plan comprised of efficiency measures.
The New York City Council is urged to reject proposed legislation that would provide grants for higher wages and benefits to certain school transportation employees, as these payments would exceed existing contract terms and undermine the competitive bidding process. Adopting this measure would necessitate reducing funding for other municipal services, as the savings from current bus contracts have already been allocated elsewhere in the city's financial plan.
Recommendations related to New York City Council
The City Council should reject proposed legislation that would provide grants to pay higher wages and benefits to certain school transportation service employees than those required by the City's contracts with the private bus companies that employ them.
The City Council should not adopt the ill-advised measure that would provide supplementary payments to City contractors over and above the terms of legally binding, competitively bid contracts.
NY1 The City Council and the mayor shook hands on a $75 billion budget deal Thursday night, and as we wait for the fine print, some fiscal watchdogs are calling the agreement prudent.
Proposed legislation A9594/S7326 threatens to reverse 2012 pension reforms, potentially costing the city $266.4 million in fiscal year 2015 and growing to $617.9 million by 2019. Opposing the home rule message in the City Council is necessary to maintain fiscal responsibility and protect the $31 billion in savings generated by previous pension adjustments.
Recommendations related to New York City Council
The Mayor should oppose the supporting home rule message under consideration in the City Council.
The Mayor should oppose the bill A9594/S7326, which would reverse recent pension reforms and increase future pension fund contributions.
The Mayor should affirm his commitment to fiscal responsibility by opposing the bill that would enrich disability pensions for police officers.
Key Data
$8.2 billion
— The total cost of New York City pensions in fiscal year 2013.
235 percent
— The increase in pension costs from fiscal year 2004 to fiscal year 2013.
$31 billion
— The estimated savings to the City over 30 years resulting from the 2012 pension reforms.
$35 million
— The immediate increase in the City's costs in fiscal year 2015 if the proposed changes are enacted.
$266.4 million
— The actuarial value of contributions required by the City to fund the new benefit in fiscal year 2015.
$617.9 million
— The actuarial value of contributions required by the City to fund the new benefit in fiscal year 2019.
This presentation was given by Maria Doulis, CBC’s Director of New York City Studies, at “The Measured City: Using Data to Improve New York City Government” Conference, on Oct. 30, 2013.
New York City faces a new fiscal reality where the era of large, unanticipated tax revenue surpluses has ended, forcing leaders to rely on one-shot resources like the sale of taxi medallions and the retiree health insurance trust fund to balance the budget. Consequently, the Mayor and City Council must now consider fundamental structural changes, such as reforming generous municipal health insurance policies, to address long-term budget growth and deficits.
Recommendations related to New York City Council
The Mayor and City Council can raise taxes again or impose additional cuts on services and personnel to address budget deficits.
The Mayor and City Council can tackle spending arrangements that drive budget growth and out-year deficits.
The Mayor and City Council should tackle the City's generous health insurance policies for municipal employees and retirees to address budget challenges.
Key Data
$5.3 billion
— The high point of unanticipated tax revenues reached in fiscal year 2007.
$114 million
— The amount fiscal year 2012 tax collections are running above the initially budgeted sum.
$42.2 billion
— The total tax revenues for fiscal year 2012.
$7 billion
— The amount Wall Street profits are running below what was assumed when the budget was adopted.
$1 billion
— The revenue generated from the sale of taxi medallions used to balance the fiscal year 2013 budget.
$1 billion
— The amount drawn from the retiree health insurance trust fund to balance the fiscal year 2013 budget.
Between 2009 and 2011, New York City implemented multiple rounds of budget cuts totaling nearly $3.4 billion to address revenue shortfalls, with the Mayor and City Council negotiating restorations for specific agencies like the Police Department. To avoid further cuts to essential services, the city must pursue structural reforms to pension fund contributions and health insurance premiums rather than relying on agency-specific expenditure reductions.
Recommendations related to New York City Council
The City must identify and approve ways to reduce spending for pension fund contributions and health insurance premiums for employees and retirees to avoid substantial new cuts in agency budgets.
The City should pursue new initiatives to reduce the 'all other' budget category, which consists largely of pension fund contributions and health insurance premiums.
Unions must be willing to accept changes in collective bargaining over health benefits to achieve necessary budget savings.
Wide support must be garnered to push the State Legislature to authorize changes in future pension benefits.
Key Data
$3.4 billion
— Total budget balancing actions proposed in the last two fiscal years.
$395 million
— Amount of proposed expenditure cuts restored through negotiations between the Mayor and City Council.
$2.4 billion
— The projected deficit for the next fiscal year.
$926 million
— The single largest cut, which was applied to the Department of Education.
$2.0 billion
— Total agency expenditure reductions achieved from the proposed budget balancing actions.
274,061
— The number of full-time city employees at the end of fiscal year 2010.
The New York City Council approved a fiscal year 2011 budget that avoids tax increases but relies on depleting past surpluses to cover rising expenditures. While the budget includes agency cuts and job losses, the Council also restored funding for certain programs and allocated discretionary spending for local initiatives, even as long-term financial gaps persist.
Recommendations related to New York City Council
The City should take a stronger stance on reforming health care and retirement benefits for its workers.
The City should require employee contributions to health care premiums of 10 percent for individuals, 25 percent for families, and 50 percent for retirees to save over $1 billion annually.
The City should focus its capital commitment plan on key priorities like state-of-good-repair work on aging infrastructure while trimming back less urgent development projects.
The City should create a new pension tier that requires greater employee contributions and a longer vesting period to save $200 million annually.
The City should prioritize ensuring balanced budgets both now and into the future.
Key Data
$1 billion
— recurring savings achieved in agency spending
6.3 percent
— expenditure growth in FY2011 compared to the last fiscal year
$4.3 billion
— budget gap the City would face without surplus and trust fund drawdowns
$3.6 billion
— surplus from FY2010 used to balance the FY2011 budget
4,200
— jobs lost as part of the Program to Eliminate the Gap
$231.7 million
— amount of proposed cuts restored by the City Council
The Department of Education's fiscal transparency and oversight could be improved by codifying the Comptroller's auditing role and mandating a deadline for the integration of the department's financial systems with the city's broader management platform. These measures would clarify accountability and ensure that oversight entities can effectively monitor budget data and payment requests.
Recommendations related to New York City Council
The New York City Comptroller’s role in auditing the Department of Education should be codified.
A firm deadline should be set by which the Department of Education must fully integrate with the City’s Financial Management System.
The relationship between the Comptroller and the Department of Education should be formalized to remove ambiguity regarding oversight.
Key Data
$25,000
— The threshold for all Department of Education contracts, competitive and non-competitive, that must be registered with the Comptroller.
New York City's budget and performance management systems are currently disconnected, preventing the public and officials from effectively linking spending to specific program results. To improve accountability, the city should reorganize its budget to align with program performance, adopt comparative benchmarking, and incorporate citizen satisfaction data into its reporting.
Recommendations related to New York City Council
New York City leaders should connect money and performance in the budget by reorganizing it to better track programs and program performance.
The City should focus on efficiency measurement by making the reporting of unit costs a high priority in every service area.
City leaders should improve outcome measurement and reporting by pushing to develop and track desired results for every service area.
The City should develop and present comparative performance measures so that New Yorkers can compare the caliber of their services to those provided by other competitor cities.
The City should expand the use of citizen-derived outcome measures by measuring public perception of City services through satisfaction surveys.
The City Council should hold oversight hearings on the PMMR and MMR and press for a better link between the budget and performance goals.
Key Data
24
— Number of the 30 largest U.S. cities that publish performance metrics in their budgets.
$4.9 billion
— Amount of spending represented by the Department of Education's single unit of appropriation for 'General Education Instruction and School Leadership Personal Services,' which is 31% of the agency's fiscal year 2007 budget.
4
— Number of efficiency indicators New York City reports out of the 42 efficiency measures published in the ICMA annual performance measurement benchmarking publication.
13.2 million
— Total number of calls handled by the 3-1-1 system in fiscal year 2006.
47%
— Percentage of 3-1-1 calls in fiscal year 2006 that were requests for information.
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