Spend, baby, spend.
The City Council is proposing more than $400 million in new initiatives for next year’s budget — without any cuts to services.
In response to a $77.7 billion preliminary budget from the mayor that already boosts head count, the council on Tuesday suggested hiring more crossing guards, park-enforcement officers, school-safety agents, guidance counselors, park-maintenance workers and building inspectors.
The council also reiterated its desire to allocate $69 million for 1,000 more cops — an initiative Mayor de Blasio has refused to support.
The heavily Democratic body of 51 lawmakers also called for creating a new Office for Civil Justice, spending $65 million to expand public-library service to six days a week and doubling staffing at the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment from 16 to 32.
“The council is proposing significant additions to spending, and in some cases — like the hiring of additional police officers — the costs would grow significantly in the years beyond 2016,” cautioned Citizens Budget Commission analyst Maria Doulis.
“This is at odds with other worthy council goals, like building budget reserves.”
By council estimates, the city will take $879 million more in revenue than the administration has projected, mostly from higher income-tax collections.
Council leaders acknowledged the city’s “bright” fiscal condition, but insisted they had engaged in something they referred to as “responsible prosperity.”
They said the increase in police personnel would cut overtime by $50 million, and they called for returning nearly $200 million in taxes to the pockets of property owners and low-income residents.
“Taken all together, this is a budget response which seeks to uplift, defend and protect New Yorkers,” said council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito. “It is a budget response that reflects our values as a body.”
Asked about the dearth of belt-tightening measures, she said, “We are asking for agencies to find efficiencies.”
With council numbers crunchers estimating significantly lower debt-service payments and nearly $900 million in increased revenues, the spending spree would still leave the city with at least a $690 million surplus in fiscal 2016, according to officials.
Homeowners were thankful for the $250 property-tax rebate — but wondered why it was less than the $400 one in effect until 2009.
“I think it’s a step in the right direction, but I don’t understand it since they have a surplus and these are taxpayer dollars,” said Silvio Mazzella, 70, of The Bronx, who owns a two-family home but lives on a fixed income.




