Mayor Bill de Blasio and the City Council yesterday announced an agreement for $82.1 billion City budget for Fiscal Year 2017, marking completion of the earliest budget deal since 2001.
This year’s spending plan is $3.6 billion increase from last year’s spending plan of $78.5 billion. The budget makes targeted investments in cultural organizations and libraries, youth workforce development and public safety. Among the variety of initiatives on the spending plan are $39 million for Summer Youth Employment program, $21 million in funding to continue six-day service at public libraries, $10 million in funding for cultural organizations.
De Blasio praised the budget saying that the budget is not only on time, but reflects the administration and the City Council working together to produce tangible, timely results for New Yorkers.
“We’ll grow to 60,000 slots in our Summer Youth Employment Program, continue six-day library service, invest in our cultural institutions, provide our district attorneys with the funds they need to continue combating crime and addressing heroin and prescription drug use, all while protecting the City’s fiscal health,” said de Blasio.
Council Member Vincent Gentile said this budget will benefit our youth, seniors and working families.
“As the former Chair of the Committee on Libraries, I am extremely pleased that public libraries will have no less than $23 million per year to sustain six-day service. In addition, we will be investing more funds than ever before for the infrastructure of our library’s facilities,” said Gentile.
Council Member Jumaane D. Williams noted that jobs help prevent crime, and so do other necessary resources.
“I want to thank the Administration and Speaker for its infusion of $8 million in the Crisis Management System. The system was an outgrowth of the work of the Task Force to Combat Gun Violence, established last term and co-chaired by Council Members Cabrera, and I,”said Williams.
There is a total investment of $100 million in youth services, and this includes additional afterschool program slots for elementary and middle school children, year-round jobs, and a commitment to more programs that will help young people throughout New York City.
Chairman of Youth Services Committee, Council Member Mathieu Eugene said of the budget awarding $100 million to youth services is truly a victory for the city’s young people, and reflects the needs of the youth.
“We in the City Council worked together to negotiate a budget that will help youth in all neighborhoods of our city. I’m thankful for the leadership of our Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, as well as Finance Chair Julissa Ferreras-Copeland. I’d also like to thank Mayor Bill de Blasio for listening to the requests of my colleagues and I during this process. Most importantly, I’d like to thank the youth advocates for raising their voices for youth programs and I’d like to commend the young people who were at every rally to speak out about the importance of making youth a priority,” said Eugene.
