REMARKS
Council Member Carlina Rivera opens Committee on Cultural Affairs Libraries And International Intergroup Relations hearing on the Department of Cultural Affairs executive budget plan
2:12:31
·
4 min
Council Member Carlina Rivera opens a hearing on the Department of Cultural Affairs (DCLA) executive budget plan for fiscal year 2025.
- She highlights the proposed $152 million DCLA budget, which is $89.6 million less than the previous fiscal year's adopted budget.
- Rivera emphasizes the importance of arts and culture in New York City and advocates for more funding for cultural organizations.
- She expresses disappointment that only a fraction of the $75.6 million in additional funding requested by the council has been included.
- Rivera underscores the council's responsibility to ensure a fair, transparent, and accountable budget that reflects the city's needs and priorities.
- She expects active engagement from the DCLA and responsiveness to council members' questions during the hearing process.
Carlina Rivera
2:12:31
Thank you, Chair Brennan.
2:12:32
Good afternoon, everyone.
2:12:33
Thank you for being here.
2:12:35
Welcome to the hearing for the Committee on Cultural Affairs Libraries And International Intergroup Relations.
2:12:40
I'm Council member Karleen Rivera, Chair of this Committee.
2:12:44
This afternoon, we will be discussing DCLA's executive plan.
2:12:48
The DCLA budget for fiscal 2025 is a $152,000,000 and the fiscal 2025 executive capital commitment plan includes $1,300,000,000 in fiscal 2024 to 2028 for the department.
2:13:02
The proposed fiscal 2025 budget is $89,600,000 less.
2:13:09
Than the fiscal 2024 adopted budget.
2:13:12
With the understanding that the fiscal 2025 executive budget does not yet reflect Council initiatives, this represents a $53,000,000 cut to cultural organizations.
2:13:24
And I strongly believe that the budget does not adequately fund the city's cultural organizations.
2:13:31
The culture community is not only an economic driver for the city, but is also the foundation for what makes New York City vibrant, healthy, and alive.
2:13:42
A large part of what lights up New York is our arts and cultural sector from our world famous museums and cultural institutions of Broadway theaters and the performing arts scene in all of the organizations along the way on our streets and corners that contribute so much to our communities.
2:13:59
New York City performers themselves are trendsetters, creating and expanding among many genres of art like hip hop and rap ballet and dance.
2:14:10
Arts and culture define New York City.
2:14:14
The critical role of the arts play in our cities, the primary reason the council urged the administration in our budget response to provide additional support for cultural organizations by adding an additional 75,600,000 in fiscal 2025 to support cultural tuition groups or 6, and to provide across the board grants increases for all cultural development fund recipients.
2:14:41
That 75,600,000 included restoring and baselining 45,000,000 allocated in fiscal 2024.
2:14:49
For the Department of Cultural Affairs as well as restorations of the 20,100,000 fiscal 2024 peg.
2:14:56
Program to eliminate the gap and the 15,500,000 fiscal 2025 pay.
2:15:01
These funds would support city artists.
2:15:04
And help to bring equity to arts and culture in the city.
2:15:08
I am very, very disappointed to see that only a fraction of this funding has been included in the executive plan.
2:15:15
New York City's world renowned cultural institutions are vital to the enrichment and growth of the neighborhoods in which they reside and attract visitors from all over to visit our neighborhoods and support our small businesses.
2:15:28
These organizations need full restoration for the sector to continue to flourish.
2:15:34
With that said, it the council's responsibility to ensure that the city's budget is fair, transparent, and accountable to all New Yorkers.
2:15:43
Hence, as the Chair of the Committee on Cultural Affairs Libraries And International Intergroup Relations, I will continue to push for accountability and accuracy.
2:15:53
And that's to ensure that the budget reflects the needs and interests of the city.
2:15:57
It is essential that the budget we adopt this year is our reflective of the priorities and interests of the council, and, of course, all the people that we represent.
2:16:06
This hearing is a critical part of that process, and I expect that DCLA will be responsive.
2:16:11
So the questions and concerns of council members, and I look forward to an active engagement with the administration as we set to adopt this budget finally.
2:16:21
With that, I just wanna acknowledge the members of the committee just every one who is here pretty much.
2:16:26
I see council member brewer, Anif Hudson, and Williams.
2:16:30
I also wanna thank all the members of the public who are going to testify shortly.
2:16:35
I wanna thank all of my staff, my chief of staff and budget director, Katie Loeb, legislative director, Eddie Amador, financial analyst, Andrew Gray, committee council, Christina Yamati, and legislative policy analyst, Regina Paul, and I once again, want to thank my husband, Jamie, for being at home with our newborn.
2:16:54
With that, I will turn it back over to Chair Brandon.
