Dear Neighbors,

As you are no doubt aware, the City Council passed New York City's FY21 budget late Tuesday night. Together with 16 other Council Members, I voted "no" on the budget. I strongly believe that this budget imposes sacrifices -- prompted by COVID and the economic downturn -- on people who can least afford it. 

Many of you wrote or called our office, urging me to support $1 billion in cuts to the NYPD, and the re-direction of those funds toward mental health services, youth programming, and other critical needs. I agreed with you and am deeply moved by Black Lives Matter. While this budget reduces actual funding for the NYPD by several hundred million dollars, it does not meaningfully demilitarize our police force, nor reduce its true scale. 

More centrally, this budget does not address our core fiscal problem  --  a revenue shortfall. The cuts in the FY21 budget - and quite possibly in budgets to come - will hurt the very people most deeply impacted by this crisis, including essential workers. This, in turn, will impact our economic recovery and future revenue for City services.

The enormous shortfall in the FY21 City budget (caused by a 10% drop in revenue) has been addressed through two main ways -- drawing on $4 billion in reserves and cutting $4 billion in spending. As a member of the Council's Budget Negotiation Team, I fought tooth and nail to shift the impact of those cuts away from the most vulnerable, and we did have some key victories.

Services for seniors have remained largely intact, as have housing programs and domestic violence services. I was especially focused on saving critical programs for young New Yorkers-- such as the Summer Youth Employment Program and CUNY ASAP. As NY1's Errol Louis noted, every dollar spent on our young people will come back to the city many times over in the form of better jobs, higher salaries, and taxes paid.


New Yorkers camped outside City Hall for days to demand $1 billion in cuts to the NYPD, and a City budget that prioritizes the needs of residents. As I and my colleagues prepared to vote, our remarks were aired live.

Overall, my colleagues and I fought for and retained $700 million for programs and initiatives that had been cut by the Mayor. These programs and initiatives provide support for our young people, schools, seniors, and low-income communities of color, to name a few. 

I will be following up next week with much more detail about the budget, especially funding for programs in District 6. As I've said countless times, a better way to approach our revenue shortfall is through a combination of spending cuts, borrowing, and new sources of revenue. The Council Speaker, Mayor, and Public Advocate have all expressed support for borrowing, and borrowing authority was given to the City after 9/11.

At the same time, we can tap into other available revenue sources, such as temporarily halting the rebate of the Securities Transfer Tax. (This requires state authorization and I am introducing a City Council resolution calling for that.) 

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• Please forward this email to any neighbors that might be out of town-- urge them to complete the Census, using their NYC address.
• Click here to learn about volunteer opportunities! 
• Download this flyer to post in your building.

• Business owners can call 1-888-SBS-4NYC with questions.
• Restaurants can work with their local BID and the Dept of Transportation to request additional seating in plazas by emailing [email protected].

• New York City's Human Resources Administration is providing a “Cooling Assistance” benefit, which helps eligible households buy and install an air conditioner or fan up to a cost of $800. Learn more and apply here.
• NYCHA seniors & other vulnerable residents can receive a free AC unit and have it installed. Eligibility: NYCHA residents age 60+, and/or with a mobility impairment, and/or that are on life sustaining equipment, and do not have an air conditioner. Eligible NYCHA residents are receiving robocalls. Anyone who missed the robocalls please call (718) 707-7771.
• In addition to safely opening fire hydrants, the City is adding hundreds of water features across the five boroughs to help New Yorkers stay cool. Learn more using the Cool It! NYC map. 

• NYC Business Restart Hotline: 888-SBS-4NYC (888-727-4692) for any small business who needs help or is seeking guidance on Phase 2 of the reopening.
• Small business and non-profit employer guides available here.
• Additional resources & guidance from NYC Small Business Services: nyc.gov/covid19biz + Reopening Guide + informational palm card.
• The City is providing 4 million face coverings for small businesses and their employees. Find a distribution site here.
• The deadline for the federal Paycheck Protection Program has just been extended to August 8th. Click here to learn about the program.
• The NY Forward Loan Fund is assisting businesses and organizations who have upfront safety expenses under the New York Forward Re-open Plan (e.g., inventory, marketing, refitting for new social distancing guidelines). Available for businesses with 20 or fewer full-time equivalent employees, nonprofits, and small landlords that have seen a loss of rental income. Learn more here. 

Please stay well and share some kindness with yourself and the people around you.

Warmly,

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