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North                       The Indian Eye

                          AMERICANNewsline






         16                                                                                                            NOVEMBER 24, 2023

         Mayor Adams Releases November






                    2023 Financial Plan Update






        With Migrant Crisis Set to Cost Nearly $11 Billion Over Just Two Fiscal Years and FY25 Budget;

             Gap Expected to Surpass Unprecedented $7 Billion, Administration Implemented PEG to

                           Identify Efficiencies and Deliver Balanced Budget as Required by Law


                                                                                                              to  grow to  at least  $12 billion  over
        OUR BUREAU                                                                                            three fiscal years — between FY23
                                                                                                              and FY25 — if circumstances do not
        NEW YORK, NY
                                                                                                              change. With sunsetting COVID-19
               ew York City Mayor Eric Ad-                                                                    stimulus  funding,  slowing  FY24  tax
               ams today released the City of                                                                 revenue  growth,  expenses  from  la-
        NNew York’s November Finan-                                                                           bor contracts this administration
        cial Plan Update for Fiscal Year 2024                                                                 inherited after being unresolved for
        (FY24). With the city facing outyear                                                                  years, and a lack of significant state
        gaps reaching levels unprecedented                                                                    or federal government action on the
        for this stage of the budget cycle, the                                                               asylum seeker crisis, the mayor took
        Adams administration took targeted                                                                    action the following month, announc-
        but significant and necessary steps to                                                                ing a 5 percent PEG on city-funded
        responsibly manage the city’s financ-                                                                 spending for all city agencies with
        es with minimal impact to services                                                                    plans for additional rounds of PEGs
        New  Yorkers rely on and deliver a                                                                    in  the  Preliminary  and  Executive
        balanced budget, as required by law.                                                                  Budgets. New city-funded spending
        The FY24 budget is $110.5 billion                                                                     was  limited to  those protecting life
        and remains balanced.                                                                                 and safety, fulfilling legal mandates,
            The  November  Financial  Plan                                                                    maintaining necessary operations, or
        Update was crafted in the face of   off this time, make no mistake: Mi-  part in delivering long-overdue sup-  generating revenue.
        significant fiscal challenges, with the   grant costs are going up, tax reve-  port, funding, and resources.”  The FY24 budget has grown
        city having spent $1.45 billion on the   nue growth is slowing, and COVID   “By law, we’re required to bal-  $3.4 billion since budget adoption in
        asylum seeker humanitarian crisis in   stimulus funding is drying up. No city   ance our budget, and this November   June, in recognition of $2.6 billion in
        FY23 and set to spend nearly $11 bil-  should be left to handle a national   Financial Plan Update successfully   grant funds and $776 million of bet-
        lion on this crisis over just FY24 and   humanitarian crisis largely on its own,  does that with minimal disruptions to   ter-than-expected revenue growth,
        FY25 without significant and timely   and without the significant and time-  services,” said Chief of Staff Camille   primarily driven by income and sales
        state and federal support. Through   ly support we need from Washington,  Joseph Varlack. “Our agencies have   tax collections. Outyear gaps are $7.1
        strong  fiscal  management  and  with   D.C., today’s budget will be only the   stretched dollars further than ever   billion in FY25, $6.5 billion in FY26,
        the  limited  fiscal  tools  available  —  beginning.”              before to deliver as many services as   and $6.4 billion in FY27.
        including a successful Program to    “Our  administration  has  a  legal   possible to New Yorkers while secur-  The PEG implemented by the
        Eliminate the Gap (PEG) — the ad-  and  fiscal  responsibility  to  come  to   ing our city’s financial future, and I’m   administration in the November Fi-
        ministration kept the FY24 budget   the table, balance the budget, and   grateful to the dedicated public ser-  nancial Plan Update to keep FY24
        balanced with minimum disruption   make the  tough  decisions today  to   vants who will have to do more with   balanced  was  successful,  setting  up
        to services and without raising taxes   ensure a better tomorrow for New   less as COVID stimulus dries up, tax   the city to save $3.7 billion over two
        on working-class New Yorkers — de- York City,” said First Deputy Mayor   revenue growth levels off, and the   fiscal years. Every agency met their
        spite having received limited state   Sheena Wright. “We cannot ask New   asylum seeker crisis continues to eat   savings target.
        and federal aid.                  Yorkers to balance their checkbooks   away at our city’s finances. But we’re   Looking forward, asylum seek-
           “For  months,  we  have  warned   without city leaders doing the same.  not out of the woods yet, not by a long   er costs in this plan contributed sig-
        New Yorkers about the challenging   These tough but necessary decisions   shot. If we don’t get the help we need   nificantly to a historically large $7.1
        fiscal  situation  our  city  faces,”  said   were made to protect the city’s fiscal   from the federal government,  we’ll   billion FY25 budget gap — $2 billion
        Mayor Adams. “To balance the bud-  future while continuing to deliver   have to take more drastic measures   greater than it was in June’s FY24
        get as the law requires, every city   vital government services. Howev-  to balance our budget going forward.” Adopted Budget — despite the suc-
        agency dug into their own budget to   er, New York City should not carry   In August 2023, Mayor Adams   cessful PEG in this plan. By law, this
        find savings, with minimal disruption   this burden on its own. The federal   laid out new projections estimating   gap must be closed in mid-January,
        to services. And while we pulled it   and state government must play their   the cost of the asylum seeker crisis   two months from today.


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