City Hall – City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, Finance Committee Chair Julissa Ferreras and the City Council today released the Council’s response to the Fiscal Year 2015 Executive Budget.
Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito:
“The Executive Budget presented today is a strong start and represents the shared commitment between the Council and the Administration to deliver for all New Yorkers while remaining fiscally responsible.
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Speaker Mark-Viverito:
“Just minutes after David Ben-Gurion declared the establishment of the State of Israel 66 years ago, President Harry S. Truman issued our country’s formal recognition of the new nation and since that day the relationship between the United States and the State of Israel has only grown stronger.
Yesterday, Israelis honored those they have lost during Yom Ha’zikaron, Memorial Day and today, as Israelis celebrate their 66th Independence Day, I extend my best wishes to the people of Israel and New York’s Jewish community.
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“Today, New York mourns the loss of activist and literary giant Jack Agüeros. A Puerto Rican native of El Barrio/East Harlem, Jack’s versatile poetry and short stories brought dignity to neighborhoods and people at the margins of our City. Throughout his prolific career, Jack never lost sight of his humble beginnings and frequently railed against injustice.
As a former Executive Director of El Museo del Barrio, Jack was crucial in organizing the inaugural Three Kings Day Parade in 1977, one of this City’s enduring traditions.
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Proposals Will Make Council More Responsive, Transparent, Fair and Inclusive
Good Government Groups Praise Council for Increasing Equity and Transparency
Council Will Hold Public Hearings on Proposals May 7th
City Hall – New York City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, along with Rules Committee Chair Brad Lander and Council Members Barron, Vallone, Cabrera, Rosenthal, Reynoso announced a historic reform package proposal today that will help make the City Council more responsive to the needs of New Yorkers in all communities, more transparent in how it operates and more fair and inclusive for all members enabling them to better serve their districts.
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Today, the Council will vote on four pieces of legislation offering reforms to building codes to promote energy efficiency and health in New York City buildings. In addition, the Council will introduce legislation to allow employees at companies with 20 or more employees to pay for public transportation fare with pre-tax income.
Building Reforms
The building reforms being voted on today include a measure requiring that existing concealed pipes in buildings be outfitted with insulation when exposed during repair or alteration.
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Council budget balances City’s finances with progressive agenda that increases transparency and efficiency of City government and delivers results for all New Yorkers
City Hall – City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, Finance Committee Chair Julissa Ferreras and the City Council today released the Council’s response to the Fiscal Year 2015 Preliminary budget. Balancing the City’s finances with sound proposals to increase the efficiency of City government and deliver results for all New Yorkers, the Council’s fiscally responsible recommendations for the upcoming year prioritize critical services and include:
• Hiring An Additional 1,000 NYPD Officers
• Eliminating School Lunch Fees
• Reducing the Homeless Population Living in Shelters
• Creating New Technology Incubators to Spur Entrepreneurship
• Supporting New York City’s Veterans
• Overhauling the City’s Property Tax Code
• Expanding Summer Youth Employment
• Increasing Anti-Gun Violence Initiatives
• Protecting the City’s Workforce
• Tackling Affordable Housing Crisis
• Increasing Transparency in the Capital Budget
• Maintaining Base lined Council Initiatives and Restorations
“From increasing our police force, to bolstering job creation, to eliminating school lunch fees and reducing the homeless population, our proposals will strengthen the City’s infrastructure, innovate government operations and build a stronger, safer City that delivers results for all New Yorkers,” said Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito.
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Pursuant to section 247 (b) of the New York City Charter, the Council is required to submit to the Mayor, and publish, recommendations to the Mayor’s Preliminary Budget to be included in the Mayor’s Executive Budget no later than March 25th of each year.
On December 19, 2013, the Council voted on Int. 1228 (Local law 153 of 2013) to extend such date to April 21, 2014.
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““Rick Perry’s traveling circus isn’t going to persuade New Yorkers who know a sideshow when they see one. The truth is Rick Perry has pushed a textbook right-wing agenda that is anti-middle-class, anti-women and something New Yorkers will overwhelmingly and easily reject.”
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“Happy Easter to the New Yorkers who celebrate today with their family and friends across the five boroughs and around the world. On this important day to Christians, we reflect on sacrifice while also bringing forward renewal and hope. I wish all a Happy Easter.”
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“With his smooth baritone voice and charisma, Cheo Feliciano helped catapult salsa to an international stage. His entrancing performance of “El Ratón” in Kinshasa, where he and the Fania All Stars had to compete with thunderous applause, stands as one of the most memorable showcases of salsa’s “dream team.”
Whether he was paying homage to a Taino queen or crooning about heartache, audiences from New York to Japan were electrified by the beloved Cheo, who made El Barrio/East Harlem his home during the height of Puerto Rican migration to the Big Apple.
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