Statement from NYC Comptroller Brad Lander on Mayor Adams’ FY 23 Preliminary Budget

(New York, NY)—Following the release of Mayor Eric Adams’ FY 2023 Preliminary Budget on Wednesday, New York City Comptroller Brad Lander issued the following statement:

“The Fiscal Year 2023 budget is New York City’s chance to invest in the programs and infrastructure our city needs for an inclusive, resilient, long-term recovery.

“I’m pleased to see some of those needed investments in Mayor Adams’ first budget proposal, like 100,000 summer youth jobs and funding for the Fair Fares NYC program. As the budget process continues, I hope to see additional funding for evidence-based public safety interventions like supportive housing, a far more robust plan for long-term fiscal reserves, and more clarity about how we are spending one-time federal funds wisely to help vulnerable students, small businesses, and neighborhoods recover. We must also act now to address the climate crisis by investing in clean energy through our Public Solar NYC plan, as well as the infrastructure we need for the coming era of rising tides and temperatures.

“At a time of extraordinary challenges, there is reason for optimism about our city’s economic recovery, thanks in part to the $24 billion that our city is receiving in federal aid. My office is paying close attention to that spending, but I urge the administration to provide greater transparency and detail on the planned outcomes for those dollars so that we can better assess whether these resources are having the intended impact for every New Yorker.

“The mayor has rightly sought to reduce agency headcount, and I’m glad the budget does not rely on the illusory $500 million in labor savings. I’ll be looking closely at whether the planned savings achieve real efficiencies and will dig in, especially at agencies like the Department of Correction where reform is urgently needed.

“However, the current plan does not include a credible effort to build up the long-term reserves the city needs, with only a scant addition in FY23 and nothing in the remaining years of the plan. It remains urgent to codify deposits into the Rainy-Day Fund.

“Being prepared for a rainy day in 2022 means addressing not only our fiscal resilience, but also urgently our climate resilience. Six months after Hurricane Ida, and 10 years after Superstorm Sandy, we’ve done too little to get our sewers, streets, and coastal communities ready for the storms to come. I’ll be examining the status of these projects, urging the mayor to prioritize resiliency in plans for capital spending, and pushing for capital projects management reform to get projects done on time and on budget.

“As we confront the inequities that the public health and economic crises of these last two years underscored, we must make investments that secure a safe and sustainable future for all New Yorkers. My office is looking forward to reviewing the preliminary budget proposal in full and sharing detailed analysis with the Administration, the City Council, and the public in the coming weeks.”

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