NYC Council pushes for more budget cut reversals; mayor more cautious

NEW YORK (PIX11) -- The New York City Council is advocating to fully fund the city, after a new windfall of nearly $3 billion in revenue.

The legislative body is pushing back against Mayor Eric Adams' cautious approach to rolling back budget cuts.

Although Adams has restored or promised no more cuts to the NYPD, FDNY and the Sanitation Department, the City Council said the restoration of social service cuts and cuts to libraries, 3-K and pre-K, need to be restored.

"I have kids going down a slide at Wagner playground with broken steel," said Councilwoman Diana Ayala. "These kids are getting cut."

The Bronx and Manhattan Democrat said it has been difficult to get basic and important projects moved along in her district.

During a Monday budget hearing, she and other council members highlighted their team's determination that the city has $3 billion more in tax revenue than anticipated.

"What we are saying is, let's try to maintain as many of the city services as we can intact because people really depend on those services," Ayala said.

Still, the mayor's office is still being cautious, saying the city has spent $4 billion on housing and feeding migrants so far, with the federal government only covering a paltry $50 million of that.

"We are not out of the woods. We cannot spike the ball and say the game is over," Adams said Monday.

The mayor said bond rating agencies, which independently evaluate municipalities, have approved of his fiscal management.

PIX11 News asked him about more tax money coming into the city. Adams defended his continued cautious approach, and initial cuts he made, adding that he has already walked back some cuts and is willing to do more.

"We recovered the NYPD, Department of Education, Parks, FDNY, when we can [do more] we will," he said. "But we have turbulent days ahead of us."

Still, the City Council has said from the beginning that the city's finances were not too bad. Democratic strategist Basil Smikle said the deeply progressive body is now certainly asserting itself, having just gone toe-to-toe with the mayor on policing.

"They smell blood -- if you will -- after the override a veto on the 'How Many Stops Act,'" he said. "And they believe they are acting on the best interests of their constituents."

The mayor's budget team did announce Monday it was ending the hiring freeze -- but is still requiring agencies to hire more cautiously.