Q&A
Council Member Ayala questions IBO representatives on budget projections
3:09:35
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124 sec
Council Member Diana Ayala engages in a Q&A session with IBO representatives about budget projections for asylum seeker services. She seeks clarification on the discrepancies between IBO's analysis and the administration's expectations regarding costs and savings.
- Ayala questions the highest cost drivers and the expected revenue from facility closures
- IBO representatives explain that budgeted amounts may not reflect actual spending
- Discussion highlights potential misrepresentation of 'savings' from unspent funds
Diana Ayala
3:09:35
Thank you so much for that.
3:09:36
I think that my, and I'm actually not while I'm hearing you, I'm, like, trying to multitask because I'm trying to get on top of all of the unanswered questions and trying to be very sensitive and careful, you know, in what we say and do here, today.
3:09:51
But what what do you attribute to be, the highest drivers in in cost at this moment?
3:09:57
And, like, because when you know, we're looking at this year's, you know, upcoming budget, the administration is expecting to have more revenue as a result of the closure of some of these, facilities.
3:10:13
What you're saying does not necessarily align with what the administration is is expecting, to happen.
3:10:21
And so I'm I'm wondering where are you seeing the higher shifts?
3:10:25
Where are we seeing a reduction in cost?
Jacob Berman
3:10:29
So we don't know exactly what's going to be in the budget, and we won't until tomorrow probably.
3:10:34
So, I can't comment on what exactly the administration is going to budget, but, you know, we're happy to talk about that when we come back to Yes.
3:10:42
Testify, in a few weeks.
3:10:43
But I will say that the way that we are thinking about this is that you can't when you say that you're going to get savings for something that was never going to be spent anyway, is that really savings?
3:10:58
I would argue that I think because these costs were unlikely to ever be as high as they've been budgeted to be, which is something that we at IBO have been pointing out for the last 2 years.
3:11:11
Absolutely.
3:11:12
You know, saying that, oh, well, we found these savings might not be the most accurate way of portraying the situation.
Diana Ayala
3:11:20
Interesting because it would yeah.
3:11:21
I mean, it lends the it gives the impression that because we're shutting down, you know, migrant shelters, that we are in essence saving.
3:11:31
It's a good point.
3:11:32
Okay.
3:11:33
Did you have any questions, Alexa?
3:11:37
Okay.
3:11:37
Thank you guys so much.
