Council to restore critical services for most in-need New Yorkers; Budget is on-time and fiscally responsible

City Hall – After last week’s budget agreement between the City Council and Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, the Council will vote on the Fiscal Year (FY) 2011 budget. Despite limited resources from the State, and a lack of declining stimulus dollars, the Council will adopt a fiscally-responsible, timely budget that will not raise City taxes.

The Council’s Land Use Committees will vote on proposed development of the Domino Sugar Refinery site on the industrial Brooklyn waterfront. The proposed project would help to achieve the City’s goals of creating affordable housing and providing public access to the waterfront, redeveloping an unused industrial site into a comprehensive and economically integrated community.

Maintaining Critical Services

The Council will vote to adopt an on-time, fiscally responsible Fiscal Year (FY) 2011 budget that will not raise City taxes. The Fiscal Year (FY) 2011 budget will restore the most critical services in the interest of protecting children, maintaining public safety and keeping libraries and neighborhood pools open.

“This year’s budget tested the City Council in several ways,” Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn said. “We found ourselves struggling beneath an avalanche – the persistent economic downturn; the declining federal stimulus dollars; the limited State resources – all this led to us ultimately being left with practically no tools to rebuild our City after being hit by such a historic financial crisis. Nonetheless, through a thoughtful, deliberate process, we agreed to a fiscally-responsible, timely budget. We listened to New Yorkers. And with their guidance and input, we restored funding for core services for the most in-need New Yorkers. And with this foundation, our City can lift itself up to greater heights.”

“Throughout the budget process, we heard from New Yorkers by way of hearings, phone calls, e-mails, petitions and letters,” said Finance Committee Chair Domenic M. Recchia, Jr. “They told us they wanted core services maintained. They wanted libraries, fire companies and public pools to stay open. They said they couldn’t bear the burden of more taxes. We heard them loud and clear, and although we weren’t able to restore everything, we did the best with the hands we were dealt by the state, the federal government and the economic downturn. We made the tough, responsible decisions that will not only ensure a continued quality of life for New Yorkers, but guarantee that we can maintain that quality of life in the years to come. I’m proud to say that my first budget as Finance Chairman is a good budget. I would like to thank Speaker Quinn for her leadership and for the trust she put in me, my colleagues in the City Council for advocating so passionately for their constituents, the Council’s Finance Committee for their tireless work and dedication, and Mayor Bloomberg for his commitment to working with us toward adopting this budget.”

Creating Jobs and Affordable Housing

In its Land Use Committees, the Council will vote on the redevelopment of the now unutilized Domino Sugar Refinery site on the industrial Brooklyn waterfront. The proposed project would include residential, retail/commercial and community facility uses and open space. When completed, the project would revitalize and reactivate an empty waterfront industrial site, securing the construction of new residential buildings with substantial amounts of affordable housing.

The proposed project would help to achieve the City’s goals of creating affordable housing and providing public access to the waterfront, redeveloping an unused industrial site into a comprehensive and economically integrated community. The proposal includes a 100,000 square foot public school and a supermarket which reflects the principles of the FRESH food Program as well as four acres of publically accessible open space.

Improving Residential Development

In connection with the proposed Comprehensive Coney Island Redevelopment Plan, the Council will vote on legislation that would authorize the City to isolate and improve two parking lots for the development of residential buildings with ground-floor retail space. The-redevelopment of these parking lots is vital to the creation of a new neighborhood, providing much-needed retail and housing opportunities for the 50,000 residents of Coney Island, creating new connections between the community and the beach and maximizing the value of Boardwalk fronting properties.

“Last year we passed a sweeping revitalization plan for Coney Island, aimed at restoring the community to its former glory while providing jobs, affordable housing and infrastructure improvements for the 50,000 people who call it home,” said Councilman Domenic M. Recchia, Jr. “With record crowds flocking to the Boardwalk this summer, our plan is clearly a success. This important legislation makes the necessary technical changes that will allow us move forward with our rezoning plan, including the ability to begin construction on a portion of the affordable housing we allocated for the community. This brings us one step closer to our vision of a year-round entertainment destination that attracts people from around the city, and around the world.”