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OMB director defends migrant crisis spending and budget management
1:07:38
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126 sec
OMB Director Jacques Jiha strongly defends the administration's handling of the migrant crisis and its impact on the city budget. He emphasizes the unexpected nature of the $7 billion spent over two and a half years on the crisis.
- Jiha argues that the crisis was well-managed despite its significant financial impact
- He points out that last year's revenue growth of 0.7% was insufficient to cover the $3 billion spent on migrants
- Jiha explains that without property tax increases, spending reductions were necessary to address the unplanned expenditures
Jacques Jiha
1:07:38
With all due respect, mister chair, in two and a half years, we spent $7,000,000,000 that we did not plan to spend.
1:07:53
I mean, let me make sure we all get it.
1:07:56
It's 7 at the beginning of the administration, we knew contracts with the employees.
1:08:03
We have to renew contract with the employees.
1:08:06
We knew there were some tough decisions that would have to be made because stimulus funding, okay, was used to basically fund long term program.
1:08:17
None of us knew, okay, that we would be spending $7,000,000,000 in two and a half years.
1:08:25
When I hear people say, what crisis?
1:08:28
I'm like, because we manage it so well, and I give the staff credit for this.
1:08:33
Because we manage it so well, everybody's like, there is no crisis.
1:08:36
Crisis.
1:08:37
It's $7,000,000,000 that we spend in two and a half years that we did not plan to spend.
1:08:44
Okay.
1:08:45
So the notion, oh, you over forecast.
1:08:48
You you you try to justify.
1:08:50
There's no way.
1:08:51
Last year, our revenue grew by 0.7%.
1:08:57
Okay?
1:08:58
You couldn't find you couldn't fund $3,000,000,000 of spending on migrant with that kind of growth in revenue.
1:09:03
You could.
1:09:05
Okay?
1:09:06
And all of us, we all knew.
1:09:09
Okay?
1:09:10
If we have two tools at our disposal, property tax, okay, or a PEG program or spending reduction, If we face a crisis where we're spending $7,000,000,000 that is unplanned for and we don't do property tax increases, where do we think that money was gonna come from?
1:09:35
I mean, we don't make magic here.
1:09:38
We don't.
1:09:40
Okay?
1:09:41
Where do you think that money is coming from?