Q&A
Inquiry into budgets and staffing of animal welfare agencies
1:30:09
·
149 sec
Council Member Ariola questions representatives from the Mayor's Office of Animal Welfare, Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH), and Animal Care Centers of NYC (ACC) about their budgets and staffing levels for animal-related issues.
- Mayor's Office of Animal Welfare has one full-time staff member dedicated to animal issues
- DOHMH representative unable to provide specific budget information for animal-related work
- ACC reports 315 staff members and a $33,500,000 contract with the Department of Health
Joann Ariola
1:30:09
So so what I wanna talk about is is because we talked about budget before, council member Brandon brought it up, and and you didn't have a clear answer.
1:30:17
So for the mayor's office, What is your budget and operating?
1:30:24
What is your operating budget and what is your staffing level?
Alexandra Silver
1:30:27
So the mayor's office, as mentioned, it's the it's the first in the country and it's relatively new.
1:30:31
It's about 4 four, five years old, almost five, not quite.
1:30:36
The staffing, it's small.
1:30:38
It's one person solely issued on animal issues myself, but we are housed within, and we have the support, the way it's set up of the mayor's community affairs unit.
1:30:49
So as people may know, there's borough directors, there's liaisons that have very deep connections with community members and community organizations.
1:30:59
So I lean on quite a few of my colleagues in that.
1:31:02
I sit amongst them within the community affairs unit Of course, we could always do more with more research.
Joann Ariola
1:31:07
Okay.
1:31:07
And then, man okay.
1:31:09
I I wanna ask the same question for DOHMH for these problems.
1:31:12
What is your staffing and your operating budget?
Corinne Schiff
1:31:20
I I I take the question of these problems to mean all of the work that we do regarding animals.
1:31:26
Yes.
1:31:27
So I'm gonna get back to you about that budget.
Joann Ariola
1:31:30
Okay.
1:31:32
Ma'am, your staffing and budget.
Risa Weinstock
1:31:38
Our staffing, as it regards cruelty,
Joann Ariola
1:31:41
as regard to animal, let's say a rescuer calls or eye call or anyone gives a call, what is What can can we what do you have in resources available to help all the rescuers in this room, the animals who need to help and the people who are trying to help them?
Risa Weinstock
1:31:58
When we receive calls identifying an animal in distress or
Jenny Hernandez
1:32:04
cruel No.
Joann Ariola
1:32:04
No.
1:32:04
I need to know what the number is.
1:32:06
How many staff and how much money?
1:32:08
Because according to council member Brandon, when they ask, at at the finance hearings, you guys don't ask for extra money.
1:32:16
Why?
Risa Weinstock
1:32:19
How many skits is the question how many staff does ACC currently have?
Joann Ariola
1:32:25
How many ACC staff do you have?
1:32:27
And what is your current operating budget?
Risa Weinstock
1:32:30
We currently have 315 staff, and our contract with the Department of Health is $33,500,000.