The City Council is expected to �roll over� and allow most if not all of
the controversial budget cuts proposed by Mayor Eric Adams, sources
predicted Sunday.

The newly unveiled 2024 financial plan from City Hall would shrink the
police department and slash funding to schools, cultural institutions and
libraries � supposedly due to the increasing cost of housing migrants.

Former Brooklyn Councilman Sal Albanese blasted proposed cuts and implored
the Council to �get a spine.�

�They are going to roll over. They are going to opt to do nothing and
blame the mayor for the cuts,� Albanese said. �I�m urging them to get a
spine. That�s a lot to ask for from the City Council.�

The former mayoral candidate suggested that council members may be
protecting legislative grants � �member items� � that they steer to pet
programs in their districts.

�Unbelievably the @NYCCouncil in June touted & spent a ton of $ on �member
items� without considering that the fiscal house of NYC was on very shaky
grounds,� Albanese said on X. �Of course irresponsible politics is more
important than fiscal prudence.�

While decrying the cuts, Council leaders have not indicated how they will
proceed with the political hot potato.

The Council and Adams approved the $107 billion city budget with much
fanfare on June 30.

But in September, Adams ordered city agencies to prepare to slash spending
with cuts of 5% � and possibly a total of 15% by spring, blaming
escalating migrant costs.

In addition to the migrant costs, the city needs to compensate for the
loss of federal pandemic funds and the costs of generous labor contracts
and pay hikes for the workforce.

�All of us are concerned about the impact that the reductions will have on
the ability to provide essential services � from public safety to clean
streets to public schools,� said Council Majority Leader Keith Powers (D-
Manhattan).

�Elected officials of all political persuasions need to be asking our
federal and state partners to act urgently to help our city avoid drastic
cuts.�

Powers said the Council has not yet deliberated on how to proceed.

The legislative body will hold an oversight hearing on the budget trims
and ballooning migrant costs after the Thanksgiving holiday, according to
the finance committee chairman, Councilman Justin Brannan. He did not say
what action the Council would take on the mayor�s budget-shrinking plan.

�The budget gaps we are facing were not a surprise and largely due to the
end of federal COVID stimulus funds. As we have warned, temporary money
was used to start or expand permanent programs, and now that money is
finally running out. Costs related to the unprecedented migrant influx are
a big piece of this puzzle but certainly not the only piece,� Brannan said
last week.

�For months, the Council has been asking the Administration for a full
accounting of migrant costs and yet more than a year later, the only plans
we�ve seen are more cuts to services that New Yorkers rely on. Managing
and financing an international migrant crisis should not be the
responsibility of a municipality and yet here we are. The bottom line is
we desperately need help from our partners in Washington and Albany. New
York City cannot be expected to handle this on our own.�

The dilemma for the Council is that the city faces substantial multi-
billion gaps in subsequent years, even after the cuts the mayor has
proposed to balance the current spending plan, a budget expert said.

So, the Council would have to take action to address the problem, not
worsen it, said Andrew Rein, president of the Citizens Budget Commission.

�The mayor is right. We need to start now to reduce costs,� Rein said.

Others, including budget analyst and Post columnist Nicole Gelinas, said
the mayor could solve the crisis by cutting migrant costs, instead of
essential services.

Adams� spending reduction plan will be sent to the City Council this
coming week, a City Hall spokesman said.

https://nypost.com/2023/11/19/metro/nyc-council-to-roll-over-accept-mayor-
eric-adams-budget-cuts-to-nypd-schools-and-more-sources/