Mayor Adams Alleviates Reductions in $109.4 Billion Preliminary Budget for the Upcoming Year

HI INDIA NEWS DESK
NEW YORK, NY- Get ready for another round of budget fluctuations, New Yorkers.

Mayor Eric Adams revealed a preliminary budget of $109.8 billion for the upcoming year on Tuesday, assuring that there won’t be drastic cuts to services as previously warned and often reversed in the past months.

Libraries, which had to suspend Sunday service, will be fully exempt from additional service reductions in 2025, according to Adams. Additionally, schools, social services, youth and community development, and the city’s Department for the Aging will experience partial exemptions.

Adams justified these adjustments by emphasizing the importance of these services to New York. He attributed the city’s stronger-than-expected finances to careful planning, savings, and an unexpectedly robust economy. Adams also highlighted the city’s ability to save $1.7 billion on asylum seeker costs.

However, many elected officials remain unconvinced, expressing concerns about Adams’ budget calculations since the announcement of significant mid-year cuts in November. They pointed out that the city’s tax revenues fall $2.9 billion short of the November projections.

Public Advocate Jumaane Williams stated, “Let’s be clear: restoring key services in this budget is vital, though it does not undo the several previous rounds of cuts or the damage done. This restoration isn’t the result of solid budgeting, but misleading math—single-handedly slashing services based on inaccurate projections, then reversing them.”