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Council member inquires about OASO budget and staffing levels
2:25:51
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149 sec
Council Member Avilés questions the Office of Asylum Seeker Operations (OASO) Director Schaefer about the agency's budget for FY2025 and lack of funding in FY2026. Schaefer explains the current budget allocation and staffing levels.
- OASO budget increased from $1.8 million to $3.2 million
- Current staffing level is 27 people
- Roles include workforce development, case management, intergovernmental affairs, capacity planning, data management, and programs
Alexa Avilés
2:25:51
Utterly disappointing.
2:25:53
Let's let's move to Owasso.
2:25:56
So the preliminary plan includes 3,200,000.0 for fiscal twenty five for the Office of Asylum Seeker Operations.
2:26:05
However, funding is not included in fiscal twenty twenty six and the out years.
2:26:12
Why is that the case?
Molly Schaefer
2:26:14
That is how OMB budgets.
2:26:16
They put it based on the people on hand.
2:26:18
Last year as you know when I came in here I talked about a bunch of hires that we had posted.
2:26:27
At that point they weren't reflected in the budget, but this how OMB budgets.
2:26:33
They budget based on so you'd have to follow-up with them on long term.
2:26:39
But we continue to work with them on whatever our needs are in the future.
Alexa Avilés
2:26:44
So when New Yorkers see that the budget is zeroed out, I guess they should just wait and see.
Molly Schaefer
2:26:52
You'd have to talk to O
Alexa Avilés
2:26:53
and about
Molly Schaefer
2:26:54
their strategy on budgeting.
Alexa Avilés
2:26:57
So given that the increase in funding from 1,800,000.0 at fiscal twenty five adoption to 3,200,000.0 in the current budget, what are the factors that have driven this significant increase in budget?
Molly Schaefer
2:27:09
So this is our budget is specifically personnel.
2:27:13
It's just the staff we have on board.
2:27:16
As mentioned, we were hiring last time there was a budget and so those people were not on board and therefore they were reflected in the budget.
2:27:24
These people are now on board and therefore they are reflected in the budget.
Alexa Avilés
2:27:27
And how many what's your actual staffing level at this point?
Molly Schaefer
2:27:31
So we have 27 people.
Alexa Avilés
2:27:37
And can you run through what some of those roles are?
2:27:42
And you don't have to do all of them.
2:27:44
You can send it to our office within six months.
Molly Schaefer
2:27:48
So we have a workforce development team.
2:27:52
We have an, you know, who works with case management and exit strategies across the systems.
2:27:58
We have someone who works on intergovernmental affairs and communications.
2:28:05
We have a capacity planning team.
2:28:07
We have a data team as we own all of the data.
2:28:13
We have a programs person, but that is basically our office.