QUESTION
Why is the Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities (MOPD) facing major budget cuts, and what implications does this have?
3:07:13
·
167 sec
Council Member Linda Lee raises concerns about significant budget cuts to the Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities (MOPD), emphasizing its importance in serving over a million New Yorkers with disabilities.
- The MOPD's fiscal 2025 budget is $477,000, which is a 33% reduction from the previous year's budget.
- Budget Director Jacques Jiha explains that all agencies were asked to contribute to savings due to a large budgetary gap, mentioning that the MOPD is a policy coordinating entity, not a direct service provider.
- Jiha suggests the potential for reassessment and adjustment of the MOPD budget closer to adoption, based on need assessment in collaboration with the council.
- Council Member Lee underscores the difficulty of managing disability services with such a limited budget and calls for a reevaluation of the MOPD's budget.
Linda Lee
3:07:13
MOPD, mayors of office for people with disabilities.
3:07:17
So, as you know, it's been underfunded in recent years.
3:07:21
And the office's fiscal 2025 budget is 477,000, which is 33% less than fiscal year 20 four's budget at adoption.
3:07:29
And so just wanted to know, you know and this was, I think, an additional reduction that was included in FY Twenty Four's executive plan.
3:07:38
And just wanted to know because as you know, people with disabilities in New York City equates to over 1,000,000 people in this city.
3:07:46
And so just wanted to know given the critical services that the office provides to those with disabilities, why was the MOPD subject to such major cuts?
3:07:56
I I understand that there's headcount and pegs and all of that, but I would argue also that because the budget was only recently ramped up because it was pretty small before.
3:08:07
And I would say that, you know, the ramp up period takes time to hire and and look for qualified staff thing.
3:08:13
And so just wanting to know about the cuts there.
Jacques Jiha
3:08:16
Yeah.
3:08:17
As you know, the MOBD is a policy coordinating entity.
3:08:26
They don't actually engage in direct service programming.
3:08:32
So they basically leverage other agencies.
3:08:35
Okay?
3:08:36
But, again, we like you, we appreciate and understand the kind of works that they do.
3:08:45
But as I indicated to everyone, the challenge that we're dealing with was so large in terms of the gap that we had to close.
3:08:56
That we had to rely asking every agency to make a contribution.
3:09:00
But again, as we proceed, and get closer to adoption.
3:09:07
If based on our assessment and working with the council, if there is a need for MO RPG would basically reassess and do a need assessment.
3:09:21
And if there's a need, we will try to address it at the time.
Linda Lee
3:09:24
Yeah.
3:09:24
I would say if we could take a look at that because $477,000 in their budget to honestly I can't even imagine how difficult it is to just reign in all these huge, large city agencies because I think disability should be part of each of the work that all these agencies do and incorporate it in it, but that takes a lot of effort and resources and talent and time.
3:09:47
And so If we could reevaluate this number, I think that'd be great because it's I think it's nearly impossible for any commissioner to work with this budget that's supposed to touch upon a million people in the city.
3:09:58
So Just wanted to emphasize that.
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