Executive Budget added some funding for priorities that Council urged, but other key programs to make city safer and support New Yorkers remain underfunded

City Hall, NY – At today’s final City Council Executive Budget hearing by the Committee on Finance, the Council identified gaps in funding for several key agencies and programs within the Mayor’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Executive Budget. While the Executive Budget includes funding for several priorities that the Council outlined in its Preliminary Budget Response, such as $197 million for the restoration of 3-K and Pre-K, $104.5 million for older adult services, and nearly $30 million for neighborhood sanitation services, key investments for childcare, public school, mental health, and public safety programs remain underfunded and inadequate to meet the needs of New Yorkers.

“Amidst the chaos of the Trump administration that is undermining the national economy and working families, New York City’s budget must focus on investing in greater affordability and a safer city for New Yorkers,” said Speaker Adrienne Adams. “While the Mayor’s Executive Budget is better than those from previous years, it still fails to adequately support mental health and public safety solutions desperately needed, as well as vital services that New Yorkers of all ages need to access opportunity and success in our city. Throughout our Executive Budget hearings, we have identified key areas of funding that must be addressed and repeatedly heard from New Yorkers about the investments missing in the mayor’s budget. As we negotiate a final city budget, the Council will fight to safeguard our city’s fiscal strength and secure the appropriate investments in our neighborhoods and residents.”

“While Trump and his Republican allies try to tear down the safety net from D.C., here in New York we need to build it up,” said Council Finance Chair Justin Brannan. “That means protecting our most vulnerable and investing in the programs and priorities New Yorkers depend on — from affordable housing and mental health care to safe streets, strong schools, and vibrant parks. The mayor’s budget still doesn’t meet the urgency of the moment, and as we enter the home stretch in negotiations, I’ll be fighting tooth and nail to deliver a budget that puts working people first.”

The hearing occurred the day after the Council released its May 2025 Economic and Tax Revenue Forecast, which projected the City will collect $1.7 billion more in tax revenues for FYs 2025 and 2026 than the Mayor’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB) estimated.

The Council’s Committee on Finance has held a series of Executive Budget hearings with various committees over the past three weeks to examine specific agency budgets. These hearings examined the details of agency funding in the Executive Budget and identified programs and services that were underfunded, including those highlighted in the Council’s Preliminary Budget Response. The Council’s budget hearings covered the following issues and responsible agencies:

The FY 2026 Budget must be adopted by June 30, and negotiations between the Council and mayoral administration will occur during the following days and weeks to arrive at an adopted budget.

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