New York, NY – Council Speaker Corey Johnson, Council Finance Committee Chair Daniel Dromm, Capital Budget Subcommittee Chair Vanessa Gibson and the City Council issued today the following statement on the Fiscal Year 21 Executive Budget.

“These are unprecedented times, and we begin budget negotiations facing challenges we have never faced before. We know that in these difficult times we will be forced to make tough decisions. Our guiding principal will be to ensure that the most vulnerable New Yorkers are protected and that we keep providing critical social services. We will use our upcoming budget process, which will be done remotely for the first time in Council history, to determine the best ways to deal with the extreme economic challenges we are facing as a City.

“The Council is proud that for the past two years, one of our top priorities was to increase city budget reserves. This was the right thing to do for the city’s fiscal health, and those reserves will now help us in our efforts to battle this pandemic that’s ravaging our city.

“It is important to note as that as the epicenter of the COVID-19 crisis in this country, New York City needs and deserves significant federal funding to help us weather this pandemic.

“Although we are faced with unprecedented challenges, we know that New York City has faced difficult times before and emerged stronger. We are confident we will get through this as well. The Council is committed to working throughout this budget process for all New Yorkers, and to prioritize the common good.”

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