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New York City officials touted a $107 billion budget agreement even as it faced a $1.4 billion hole for sheltering tens of thousands of migrants.

The spending plan, announced Thursday, restores $36.2 million to the city’s library systems, boosts educational social services programs and gives a shot in the arm to the sanitation department amid a new effort to clean up the boroughs.

“The agreement we reach today comes in the mist of budget cycles dominated by great challenges and unexpected crises,” Mayor Adams said at an afternoon City Hall press conference alongside Speaker Adrienne Adams.

“Unlike the Yankees, it’s not a perfect game. But we got the win for working class new jobs,” Adams said.

The fiscal year 2024 agreement came a day ahead of a Friday midnight deadline as the city’s coffers were buoyed by a near record $8.8 billion in reserves.


  Mayor Eric Adams touted the city’s $107 billion budget agreement at a City Hall press conference on June 29, 2023. William Farrington Mayor Eric Adams touted the city’s $107 billion budget agreement at a City Hall press conference on June 29, 2023. William Farrington

Spending initiatives in the city budget includes:

  • $36M for the public library systems
  • $40M for the Cultural Institutions Group and Cultural Development Fund 
  • $36.6M for the city’s right to counsel program 
  • $36.6M for the public defenders and “Right to Counsel” program 
  • $22M for more frequent litter basket pickups
  • $20M to CUNY programs
  • $4M for the DOE’s Immigrant Family Engagement program to help non English speaking families with language services
  • $2.4M for “trauma recovery centers” to help crime victims 

Hizzoner said the city had saved $4.7 billion over the past two fiscal years “without cutting services, laying off employees or raising taxes” due to higher-than-expected revenues but warned the city could be in financial trouble in future years. 

“I’m sure there are many things we could’ve poured out money into if we had that $1.4 billion and the money we are going to lose in the outyears,” Adams complained, blaming the migrant crisis for adding to the city’s future financial woes.

“This comes out of New Yorker’s [pockets] and we are not getting the help we deserve and this is really wrong for asylum seekers,” Adams said.

“They only ask one thing: ‘let us work.’ They say, ‘we want to work. We want to pay into your tax base. We don’t want your free food. We don’t want your free clothing. We don’t want you washing our clothing. We want to work,'” he continued.


  Adams claimed that the city has spent $1.4 billion so far on housing asylum seekers sent from the southern border. William Farrington Adams claimed that the city has spent $1.4 billion so far on housing asylum seekers sent from the southern border. William Farrington

Office of Management and Budget Director Jacques Jiha said the city’s budget gaps are expected to increase, growing to over $5 billion in fiscal year 2025 and hitting a high of nearly $8 billion by 2027.

Andrew Rein, president of the fiscally conservative Citizen Budget Commission, said the city should do more to reign in spending for the next several years. 

“It’s a one year budget that uses an extra $2 billion dollars that we have now to fund priorities next year, but it widens the budget gaps,” he told The Post.

“It increases the fiscal cliff, it widens the future budget gaps and it does not put in additional money for rainy day savings.”


  Adams warned the city could potentially spend up to $4.4 billion on the migrant crisis. William C Lopez/New York Post Adams warned the city could potentially spend up to $4.4 billion on the migrant crisis. William C Lopez/New York Post

Speaker Adams was introduced to a standing ovation from her caucus and her reservations about the deal with the mayor — to whom she is not related — was apparent from apparent from the start of the press conference, when she greeted him with an icy handshake.


  Council Speaker Adrienne Adams (right) said the budget talks were especially difficult because of the focus on “restoring cuts to so many important programs.” William Farrington Council Speaker Adrienne Adams (right) said the budget talks were especially difficult because of the focus on “restoring cuts to so many important programs.” William Farrington

“These negotiations were not easy and in fact they were uniquely challenging because of how much we focused on restoring cuts to so many important programs,” the Democratic lawmaker said.

“As the first women-majority council in our city’s history, we take very seriously our responsibility to shift the deeply ingrained dynamics of our city and society; those that have traditionally left women behind, women and communities of color has an afterthought.”

Hizzoner thanked the city’s top lawmaker for her comments and for lobbying in Washington for federal , while zinging his top moneyman, liberal Comptroller Brad Lander, a frequent target of the centrist Democrat’s ire.

I just want to personally thank you for going to Washington, [DC] to fight on behalf of the city. Whatever we need to do to get Brad to go, I’ll even buy his ticket,” Adams said to a handful of shocked laughs.

“But he needs to understand that is his responsibility as well.”

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