New York Mayor Eric Adams announced a $111.6 billion executive budget proposal on April 24, which is $20 billion more than the preliminary budget proposed in January. The new version of the budget focuses on investing over $500 million in educational programs, providing funding for all new cadets’ training courses at the Police Academy this year, potentially adding over 2,000 police officers to the New York City Police Department.
Mayor Adams stated that due to the city’s strong financial management, the 2025 fiscal year executive budget is able to invest in critical initiatives for New Yorkers, including public safety, early childhood education, and the working class.
The Mayor’s office pointed out that the $22 billion increase in the 2025 fiscal year executive budget compared to the preliminary budget is attributed to stronger-than-expected economic activity in the 2024 fiscal year and improved prospects for the 2025 fiscal year.
The executive budget unveiled on the 24th includes funding for the Police Academy to conduct two additional training courses this year, each adding 600 new police officers, expected to graduate in 2025. With the existing two courses, the total number of new police officers in the New York City Police Department for this year will reach 2,400. Additionally, the budget expands 3-K pre-kindergarten programs and provides funding for literacy programs and adult education.
While the executive budget allocates $22 million to the Department of Cultural Affairs, it does not restore services to the New York City public libraries, which will still operate six days a week. Directors of the Brooklyn Public Library, the New York Public Library, and the Queens Public Library expressed disappointment in the new version of the executive budget on the 24th, indicating that most branches may only be open five days a week.
On April 1, the City Council submitted a 64-page proposal regarding the preliminary executive budget. Therefore, although Council Speaker Adrienne Adams and Finance Committee Chair Justin Brannan issued a joint statement on the 24th expressing some dissatisfaction with Mayor Adams’s executive budget proposal, there was no strong opposition.
The joint statement from the City Council noted that the new version of the executive budget does not include support for reducing recidivism programs or restoring public library services. It also does not allocate the $16.3 billion proposed by the City Council to restore basic services and nearly $30 billion for mitigating financial risks and budget shortfalls. Moreover, $5 billion was allocated to the Rainy Day Fund while over $10 billion surplus was retained for safeguard.
The non-governmental oversight organization, the Citizen Budget Committee, stated in a public announcement that the decisions of both the City Hall and the City Council should focus on reducing future budget deficits rather than increasing unsustainable expenditures. The statement emphasized that “city leaders should prioritize high-impact projects and cut or terminate low-efficiency projects.”
The committee’s statement highlighted that New York City is projected to face a significant budget shortfall in the coming years, amounting to $2 billion, for expenses such as police overtime, expanding 3-K pre-K programs, indirect costs to non-profit organizations, and a roughly $200 million funding gap for FHEPS rental vouchers.
“A clear reality is that the future funding shortfall is significant and may continue to grow,” the statement concluded.