NYC slashes program funding in ‘cautious’ FY21 budget

NYC slashes program funding in ‘cautious’ FY21 budget

A recent National League of Cities (NLC) survey found 76% of large cities (populations of 500,000 or more) anticipate needing to cut public services — and ultimately furlough or lay off staff — to grapple with the pandemic.

David Oliver
Publication Year: 2020

Read the full article from Smartcities Drive, here.

Dive Brief:

  • New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced the city’s budget for fiscal year 2021 (FY21), which previewed “cautious planning” and deep cuts across multiple sectors to address constraints amid the novel coronavirus pandemic. At $89.3 billion, the budget is $3.4 billion smaller than the one for fiscal year 2020 (FY20) to account for a potential $7.4 billion tax revenue loss across both years.
  • The sanitation department, for instance, saw its e-waste and community composting subsidy programs temporarily disappear, amounting to cost savings of $3.4 million and $3.5 million, respectively in FY21 and beyond. The city also curtailed funding for its Summer Youth Employment Program; Vision Zero program; tree pruning and tree stump removal efforts; and educational district-charter partnerships program, among other adjustments.
  • The budget aims to keep safety, health, shelter and access to food top of mind, but “Washington must also step up” to get New Yorkers through the pandemic, De Blasio said. ​