REMARKS
Lincoln Restler explains vote on NYC budget
1:24:18
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148 sec
Council Member Lincoln Restler explains his vote on the NYC budget, highlighting the council's efforts to restore funding and secure investments despite disagreements with Mayor Eric Adams. He emphasizes the council's success in areas such as affordable housing, education, libraries, and sustainability, while expressing disappointment in some areas where the mayor's austerity measures persisted.
- Restler notes $2 billion secured for affordable housing over 2 years
- He mentions $600 million restored to neighborhood schools and $58 million for libraries
- Restler expresses disappointment in funding for Universal 3K and CUNY
Lincoln Restler
1:24:18
And thank you for laughing.
1:24:20
I've disagreed with the mayor at nearly every step.
1:24:23
Of this budget process ever since the first round of extreme and unnecessary cuts that were imposed in November.
1:24:29
The budget that we're voting on today is imperfect.
1:24:32
But under the leadership of Speaker Adams, we have been unified as a body in our fight to restore meaningful investments in our communities and to prevent the most harm.
1:24:40
By organizing together, guided by the best interest of New Yorkers, we got a lot more than Eric Adams wanted to give.
1:24:48
Thanks in part to the progressive caucus who did a great job in organizing with the Homes Now campaign.
1:24:53
We help secure $2, 000, 000, 000 of funding over the next 2 years to create deeply afforded and desperate deeply affordable and desperately needed housing.
1:25:02
The council pushed to restore $600, 000, 000 in expiring funds to our neighborhood schools, the cuts that would have been just awful.
1:25:11
$58, 000, 000 in funding for our libraries means the return of 7 day a week service.
1:25:16
And we were able to partially lift the mayor's hiring fee freeze at the parks department, add a second cleaning shift at high traffic parks to ensure that they're clean and well maintained.
1:25:25
And we restored over $1, 000, 000, 000 in funding for sustainability and resiliency grades to our city buildings, including our schools, to help meet our climate goals.
1:25:34
There were more resources available though in this budget.
1:25:37
And despite the council's best efforts, The mayor's commitment to fiscal austerity continues to hurt New York City.
1:25:43
I'm disappointed by the mayor's refusal to fully fund Universal 3k and fully restore multiple rounds of the cuts that he's imposed to CUNY.
1:25:51
The lack of childcare options is driving the affordability cross crisis for young families in New York City.
1:25:56
The council was able to secure some very positive investments in early childhood education, but we need more resources and we need a mayor who actually wants more kids enrolled in 3 k.
1:26:05
With the new investments in this budget, we will continue to push the administration to ramp up outreach and better manage seat distribution.
1:26:12
I am immensely grateful to the speaker, the finance chair, Justin Brandon, and my colleagues.
1:26:17
But ultimately, no budget can solve for the mayor's mismanagement of our city.
1:26:21
And unfortunately, this management was on full display during this budget process.
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New Yorkers deserve a budget and a mayor that are building toward our collective future.
1:26:29
Every New Yorker can afford housing, where every New Yorker can afford housing, where every parent has access to childcare, and every child defines an excellent education.
Amanda FarÃas
1:26:38
Council member?
Lincoln Restler
1:26:40
I vote I in support of affordable housing, library schools, and sustainability investments.
1:26:44
And thank you very much.