Just days after saying that the mounting costs of the migrant crisis “will destroy” New York City, Mayor Eric Adams ordered some of the city’s sharpest budget cuts in years that he said would only be averted with the help of federal and state aid.
In an announcement on Saturday, Adams said all city agencies will be forced to slash spending by 5% beginning in November, and are being asked to prepare for further cuts in January and April as part of the upcoming budget planning cycle. An internal email sent to city employees and obtained by Gothamist said that in total, the cuts could add up to 15%. Taken together, they will amount to billions of dollars in cuts that could affect a wide range of basic services, including schools as well as police, fire and sanitation services, according to the mayor’s office. The size of the city’s total budget is around $107 billion.
The cuts will not require layoffs and city agencies have been directed to minimize disruptions to services.
Nevertheless, Adams warned that many New Yorkers – including the city’s newest arrivals – would feel the pain. He said the city would also find ways to cut spending for services provided to migrants, which include shelter, food, health care and education.
“The simple truth is that longtime New Yorkers and asylum-seekers will feel these potential cuts,” the mayor said in a pre-recorded message. “And they will hurt.”
The abrupt announcement of the cuts amounts to a challenge to President Joe Biden and Gov. Kathy Hochul. In his remarks on Saturday, Adams blamed both the federal and state governments for failing to provide the city with sufficient aid and policy interventions to address the migrant influx.
“We can avoid these cuts if Washington and Albany do their part by paying their fair share,” Adams said.
More than 110,000 migrants have arrived in New York City over the last year, bringing its shelter system to a breaking point.
City officials project that the cost of…
Read the full article here
Leave a Reply