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Council Member Althea Stevens' opening remarks on DYCD's FY 2026 executive budget
2:14:32
·
4 min
Council Member Althea Stevens, chair of the committee on children and youth services, delivers opening remarks for the fiscal year 2026 executive budget hearing for the Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD). She outlines the budget figures, expresses concerns about funding shortfalls, and emphasizes the importance of youth programs like Compass, RHY, SYEP, and adult literacy.
- Stevens highlights a $88.4 million decrease from the FY 2025 adopted budget
- She criticizes the lack of funding for council priorities totaling $184.1 million
- The council member calls for increased support for youth programs and addressing safety concerns in communities
Althea Stevens
2:14:32
Good afternoon and welcome to fiscal twenty twenty six executive budget hearing for Department of Youth and Community Development.
2:14:38
I'm council member Altea Stevens, chair of the committee on children and youth services.
2:14:43
This afternoon we will be hearing from the DYCD commissioner and his team.
2:14:47
Thank you for joining us today.
2:14:49
We come together to discuss the DYCD fiscal twenty twenty six executive budget expenses, which stands at 1,300,000,000.0 budget headcount of 634 positions supported by 60,500,000.0 in personnel services and a total of 1,200,000,000.0 in other than personnel services.
2:15:07
This fiscal budget is 88,400,000.0 less than the fiscal twenty twenty five adopted budget.
2:15:12
DYCD's fiscal twenty twenty six budget increased by 77,800,000.0 or 6.3% from the 1,200,000,000.0 budgeted in fiscal twenty twenty six preliminary fiscal finance plan.
2:15:25
The increase is as a result of a number of actions taken, the most significant of which are the increase of 10,000,000 for adult literacy program, 21,300,000.0 for after school expenses, and we will discuss further about how the funding only includes seats for the summer youth employment program SYEP and 11,000,000 for metro cards.
2:15:47
Let's not forget the challenges recently discussed in our oversight hearing and examining late payments to human service providers.
2:15:53
DUICD is managing a hundred and $1,639 contracts for with a staff of a 60, an unmit it on contract obligations to the providers.
2:16:03
How can the proposed services be provided for our youth when the providers are tasked with how to stay afloat due to years of unpaid contracts?
2:16:10
In the city council fiscal twenty twenty six preliminary budget response, the council identified several areas of concerns relating to the development of safeguards, education, independence, all the opportunities for our New York youth.
2:16:23
But the budget response included five priorities related to DYCD with a total value of 184,100,000.0.
2:16:31
I'm disappointed to see that none of the funding was added to the executive budget For the thousands of children and working families my colleagues and I each represent, the services are consistently fighting for at these hearings.
2:16:44
Compass, RHY, SYEP, and adult literacy are essential to their daily lives.
2:16:49
The time has come for us to do more than just more than just for our best for the success for our youth and young adults, to invest in programs that will make the difference for youth to work over the summer, a safe haze and to stay, a place to learn and to be equipped with the skills they can become more productive citizens and transcendence a place called homes and a safe place for recreation.
2:17:09
As we approach the summer, I would love to hear DYCD's plan on how they will address the many safety concerns in our communities and how will they use the provider services to support young people with things like jobs, opening up the community centers, and supporting young people.
2:17:27
As we come closer to fiscal twenty twenty six adopted budget, the council is working to ensure that the city's budget is fair, transparent, and accountable to New Yorkers.
2:17:36
As chair of the committee on children and youth, I will continue to advocate for the accountability and accuracy to ensure that the budget represents the needs and interests of the young people that the programs for the for the youth and adults are equipped with serving everyone.
2:17:51
I would like to also I will also be touching on our much awaited anticipation of a concept paper and RFP for the Compass program and look forward to discussing this expansion plan that was announced a few weeks ago.
2:18:08
Everyone here today, fiscal twenty twenty six adopted budget hearing is a responsibility with the objective of best serving the youth of New York City.
2:18:15
It is our expectation that DYC to be responsive to the questions and concerns of council members.
2:18:21
It is my hope that the fiscal twenty twenty six adopted budget meet the the goals set forth by council.
2:18:27
We want to ensure that every youth and young adult program is provided with the necessities to meet the everyday challenges our youth face.
2:18:34
I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of my staff back at the a team in District 16, Sandra Gray, our fiscal analysts to the committee, Aliyah unit head Christine Yemen, committee councils to councils to the committee, and Elizabeth Arz, policy analyst to the committee.
2:18:54
And at this time I will pass it back over to chair Brennan.