budget priorities for fiscal year 2011

8/3/2019 Budget Priorities For Fiscal Year 2011

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THE MANHATTAN BOROUGH BOARD

BUDGET PRIORITIES REPORTFOR FISCAL YEAR 2011

March 8, 2010

SCOTT M.STRINGERManhattan Borough President


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March 8, 2010

Hon. Michael R. BloombergMayorCity HallNew York, NY 10007

Re: Borough Board Budget Priorities

Dear Mayor Bloomberg:

Enclosed please find a report describing the budgetary priorities of the Manhattan BoroughBoard, as mandated by Section 241 of the New York City Charter.

New York City is facing its most severe economic decline in decades. Although it is widelyunderstood that difficult decisions must be made about where to make cuts and how to createnew revenue streams, there are several important community needs and priorities that are notadequately addressed in the preliminary budget.

The following report aims to provide a snapshot of neighborhood and borough-level concernsfor the next fiscal year. This document was developed by consensus of the ManhattanBorough Board members in response to the initiatives and forecasts of the Mayorspreliminary budget for Fiscal Year (FY) 2011, released on January 28, 2010. To help preparethis document, the Manhattan Borough Presidents Office conducted a survey of NewYorkers who reside or work in Manhattan. Many of the concerns expressed by surveyrespondents have been incorporated into this document in the hope that they will bethoroughly considered by the City. The Manhattan Borough Board held its Charter mandatedmeeting on March 5, 2010 via conference call and voted to adopt the comments in this report.This vote shall be ratified at the March 18, 2010 meeting of the Manhattan Borough Board.

It is also important to acknowledge that, should the state budget be passed in its current form,the Mayors grim contingency budget will take effect. It is crucial that we examine thepreliminary budget with a critical eye, but equally important to consider how best to respondto the wide-ranging cuts proposed in this contingency plan.

The Manhattan Borough Board Priorities Report provides a valuable opportunity to jointlyarticulate the priorities of the Borough President, City Council members and CommunityBoards in Manhattan. I hope that this report will provide you with a tool for developing amore stable and responsible budget as we move forward in the budget process. Thank youfor your consideration. I look forward to working with you as the budget process continues.

Sincerely,

Scott M. StringerManhattan Borough President

cc: Hon. Christine Quinn, Speaker of the New York City CouncilMembers of the New York City CouncilMr. Mark Page, Budget Director, Office of Management and Budget


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TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. MEMBERS OF THE MANHATTAN BOROUGH BOARD _______________________ 5

II. MANHATTAN FY2011 BOROUGH BOARD PRIORITIES ______________________ 6

1. ADMINISTRATION FOR CHILDRENS SERVICES _____________________________ 5

2. BOROUGH OF MANHATTAN COMMUNITY COLLEGE __________________________ 6

3. COMMUNITY BOARDS - MANHATTAN______________________________________ 6

4. DEPARTMENT OF BUILDINGS____________________________________________ 7

5. DEPARTMENT OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS ______________________________________ 7

6. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION ___________________________________________ 8

7. NEW YORK CITY FIRE DEPARTMENT _______________________________________ 8

8. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND MENTAL HYGIENE____________________________ 8

9. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELESS SERVICES ____________________________________ 9

10. DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION _________________________________ 9

11. DEPARTMENT OF SMALL BUSINESS SERVICES ______________________________ 10

12. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION _____________________________________ 10

13. DEPARTMENT OF YOUTH AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ____________________ 11

14. THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY_______________________________________ 11


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I. MEMBERS OF THE MANHATTAN BOROUGH BOARD

MANHATTAN CITY COUNCIL DELEGATION

HON. MARGARET CHIN,District 1HON.ROSIE MENDEZ, District 2

HON.CHRISTINE QUINN, District 3

HON.DANIEL GARODNICK, District 4

HON.JESSICA LAPPIN, District 5

HON.GALE BREWER, District 6

HON.ROBERT JACKSON, District 7

HON.MELISSA MARK-VIVERITO, District 8

HON.INEZ DICKENS, District 9

HON.YDANIS RODRIGUEZ, District 10

MANHATTAN COMMUNITY BOARD CHAIRS

JULIE MENIN,CB1

JO HAMILTON,CB2

DOMINIC PISCIOTTA,CB3

JOHN WEIS,CB4

VIKKI BARBERO,CB5

MARK THOMPSON,CB6

MEL WYMORE,CB7

JACKIE LUDORF,CB8

PATRICIA JONES,CB9

W.FRANC PERRY,CB10

MATTHEW WASHINGTON,CB11

PAMELA PALANQUE-NORTH,CB12


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II. MANHATTAN BOROUGH BOARD BUDGET PRIORITIES

With deficits exceeding $2.5 billion in FY 2010 and FY 2011 and reaching heights of $3.8billion in FY 2014, Mayor Michael Bloomberg has no choice but to reduce Cityexpenditures. Though it is critical that New York Citys expense budget reflects the realitiesof the economy, it is also key that the City does not cut funding for the very programs and

services that enable New Yorkers to weather the recession.

It is the responsibility of each Borough President, as set out by Section 241 of the New YorkCity Charter, to submit a comprehensive statement addressing the Mayors financial plan forFY 2011. This report identifies the Program to Eliminate the Gap (PEG) proposals that webelieve most endanger the Citys capacity to rebound from the recession and most endangerthe public.

The Charter mandates that this statement convey the Boroughs Board concerns afterincluding input from the public. In order to meet this mandate, our office conducted an on-line survey of Manhattan residents regarding their thoughts on the Mayors PreliminaryBudget and the services they value most. The survey was released on Wednesday, February

24, 2010 for a one week duration and captured 1,088 responses. This report reflects thepriorities of the people of Manhattan and the Manhattan Borough Board.

Although the purpose of this report is to comment on the City budget, we would be remissnot to acknowledge the State budget. Governor David Patersons proposed cuts of over $1.2billion to New York City are disproportionate and threaten the Citys fiscal health. TheCitys Contingency Budget, which applies 7.2 percent cuts equally across all agencies,effectively conveys the catastrophic impact of the States cuts. However, it does not providea calibrated plan for how these cuts should be administered. As the contours of the Statebudget become clearer, we urge the Mayor to take a more measured approach to integratingcuts from the State into New York Citys FY 2011 budget.

1. Administration for Children Services (ACS)

The New York City Administration for Childrens Services (ACS) protects New York Cityschildren from abuse and neglect. Collaborating with a range of community partners, ACSprovides neighborhood-based services to help ensure that children grow up in safe,permanent homes with strong families.

Proposed cuts to ACS would include closing 16 day care sites. These cuts to day care wouldleave a permanent void in day care options for low-income single parents and families at atime when thousands of parents are seeking subsidized day care. ACS has offered to transfer

children who will lose seats to other day care centers, but it remains unclear where thoseopenings will be located. As a result, parents are left to worry about whether their childrenwill receive care, whether the change in location will impact their family and work schedules,and whether they will have to pay additional transportation costs to reach their childrens newday care facility.

Current proposals also include the scaling back of personnel and program investments madeafter the death of Nixzmary Brown. ACS would eliminate 202 child protective workers and$3.6 million in City funds from preventive services. These cuts will result in increased


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caseloads for child abuse and neglect investigators, putting vulnerable children at evengreater risk.

2. Borough of Manhattan Community College

The Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC) serves a diverse student body fromacross New York City and the globe. BMCC is the only community college in Manhattanand with 22,500 students, it is the largest of the six community colleges in the CityUniversity of New York (CUNY).

CUNYs community colleges sustained a $9.5 million reduction in city funding this year, andthe Mayor's FY 2011 plan provides $23 million less for CUNYs community colleges thanthis years budget. These cuts are in addition to reductions proposed in the State ExecutiveBudget, which recommends a decrease to community-college base aid of $21.8 millionannually. Cuts to BMCC have historically ranged between 20 to 22 percent of the totalamount of proposed budget reductions to community colleges. These cuts to operationalfunding will negatively impact BMCC students through fewer courses selections, library

hours, and less academic support.

3. Community Boards - Manhattan

The City Charter mandates community boards to serve the constituents of this City in avariety of capacities. In addition to making recommendations in the annual budget process,these duties include ensuring efficient delivery of City services, reviewing land use proposalsand capital projects, and ensuring neighborhood access to community agencies and facilities.Upon assessing the needs and resources of their constituents, the boards consult and advisethe Mayor, City agencies, the Borough President, and City Council on the aforementioned

issues. Finally, as representatives of local communities, the community boards work toensure that City spending improves the quality of life for residents and workers in theirdistricts.

In order to provide community boards with the resources necessary to do their jobseffectively, it is critical for the City to preserve community board funding. While the boardshave seen mandated marginal budgetary increases in past years, these increases have not keptpace with inflation, resulting in a loss of real dollars over time, and an overall budget that ismeager given the heavy charter mandates placed on the boards.

In the Mayors January 2011 Financial Plan, the community board budgets include areduction of $36,593 per board. This reduction leaves each boards proposed total budget at

$160,437 without council restoration. While consistent with what the Mayors PEG asked ofmany other agencies, the effect will be disproportionate due to the small size and inherentlyinelastic nature of the community board budgets. If the Mayors Contingency Budget torespond to withheld State funds is realized, the boards could be asked to absorb a whopping 9percent reduction to their already depleted budgets.


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4. Department of Buildings

The New York City Department of Buildings ensures the safe and lawful use of over 900,000buildings and properties by enforcing the various codes, zoning resolutions, labor laws, andthe New York State Multiple Dwelling Law. The agencys main activities include issuing

construction permits, inspecting properties, licensing trades, and examining plans.

The Mayors budget calls for four DOB fee increases to eliminate the gap. These feeincreases will apply to scanning and microfilming of documents for residential andcommercial applications, applications for low and high pressure boilers, elevator applicationsand faade applications. While it appears that these new fees will generate sufficient revenuefor the DOB, it is important that the DOB sharpen its focus on the remediation of openbuilding violations. In a recent study conducted by Borough President Stringer, the boroughof Manhattan was found to have nearly a quarter of a million open DOB and EnvironmentalControl Board (ECB) violations in its building stock. The enforcement of these openviolations by the DOB would yield nearly $60 million in outstanding fine monies, forManhattan alone. The vigilant enforcement of building violations and collection of the

corresponding fines by the DOB could render future fee increases unnecessary.

5. Department of Cultural Affairs

The Department of Cultural Affairs (DCA) is the largest cultural funding agency in thenation, and the main public fiscal support for many non-profit arts and cultural institutions inNew York City. The DCA extends financial support in three ways: (1) Programmaticfunding is offered through the Cultural Development Fund; (2) Direct subsidies are providedto 33 City-owned Cultural Institutions Groups, with one-third of these groups located inManhattan; (3) Capital funding is granted for design and construction projects and major

equipment purchases for non-profit cultural organizations throughout the five boroughs.

The Mayor cut $6.4 million in DCA funding this year, reducing the agencys current budgettotal to $151.9 million, and resulting in a 3.4 percent cut to Cultural Institutions Groups,Cultural Development Fund groups, and Cultural After School Activities.1 The projectedbudget for FY 2011 would further reduce the DCAs budget to $120.1 million. CulturalInstitutions Groups paid by City fund subsidies2 may experience an additional loss of 202City supported staff positions due to these cuts.3 This 8 percent budget cut4 will impact theDCAs ability to sustain the anticipated increase in the number of nonprofit culturalinstitutions seeking support for programmatic funding. The decline in funding fromcharitable foundations and individual donations and reduced revenue through ticket sales andmemberships further puts these programs in jeopardy.

1 Clyde Fitch Report www.clydefitchreport.com/?p=5680 Analysis by Norma Munn, chairperson of theNew York City Arts Coalition2Mayors Preliminary Budget FY10 Page 633Clyde Fitch Report www.clydefitchreport.com/?p=5680 Analysis by Norma Munn, chairperson of theNew York City Arts Coalition

4Mayors Preliminary Budget FY10 Page E-81 through E-83


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6. Department of Education

The New York City Department of Education (DOE) is the largest system of public schoolsin the United States, serving 1.1 million students in over 1,600 schools. The DOE employs80,000 teachers, and has an annual budget of $21 billion.

Although four out of five survey respondents do not have children in public schools, the needto strengthen the public school system was identified as the highest priority by respondents.Fifty-eight percent of respondents with public school children ranked the needed for smallerclass size as the priority for their childs education.

In the face of increasing class sizes and school overcrowding, New York City public schoolstudents cannot afford to lose more teachers. The proposed elimination of 8,159 teachingpositions through layoffs and attrition will mean even less opportunity for students to receivecrucial individualized attention, which will particularly impact children who are the hardestto reach and have the greatest learning needs. Cutting teachers will penalize children atgreatest risk and of highest need, running counter to the DOEs central goal of reducing the

achievement gap. Providing physical education, art classes, and after-school programmingwere among the top priorities listed by parents in our survey and by Borough Boardmembers. The Mayors proposed reductions make this more difficult, particularly whenadditional schools are scheduled to open in order to address problems of overcrowding.

7. New York City Fire Department

The New York City Fire Department (FDNY) has approximately 11,600 uniformed officersand firefighters and more than 3,200 uniformed EMTs and paramedics. FDNY operatesabout 250 firehouses and ambulance stations, responds to more than 260,000 fire and non-

fire related emergencies and more than a million medical emergencies each year. Even intough fiscal times, public safety must come first.

The Mayors budget calls for a reduction in the number of firefighters on 60 companyengines, the elimination of staffing at 4 engine companies and the elimination of 20firefighter posts. The Mayor also proposes the de-activation of street alarm boxes. Thesemeasures will save the City a projected $13.5 million. It is imperative for the safety ofManhattan residents that any reductions in personnel do not translate to a reduction in servicelevels. The agency must also be careful to uphold its diversity goals for hiring newfirefighters.

8. Department of Health and Mental Hygiene

The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) is responsible forpublic health standards, issues pertaining to birth certificates and dog licenses, and restaurantinspections. With an annual budget of $1.6 billion and more than 6,000 employeesthroughout the five boroughs, DOHMH is one of the largest public health agencies in theworld, serving 8 million New Yorkers from diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds.


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Planned DOHMH cuts would result in the elimination of nurse coverage at elementaryschools with fewer than 300 students. A number of serious concerns exist related to thisproposal. First, for the change to take place, the City must amend existing laws that currentlyrequire schools serving fewer than 200 children to have nurses on staff. Second, it is unclearhow these cuts will impact small schools co-located in a single building. For example, ifthree elementary schools in the same building each serve 300 or fewer students, would these

schools collectively be entitled to share a nurse for the building as they do a cafeteria? Orwould DOE and DOHMH consider each school separate, and therefore ineligible to have anurse in the building? The question is particularly relevant given the DOEs and DOHMHssmall schools initiative and their focus on charter schools, the vast majority of which serve300 or fewer students. Finally, the most obvious question is how the DOE and DOHMH willaddress the needs of students who may require daily check-ins with a nurse, for assistancewith medication and chronic conditions such as asthma. Failure to address these questionswill compromise the health and well-being of thousands of New York City public schoolstudents.

9. Department of Homeless Services

The Department of Homeless Services (DHS) manages 11 City-run and 192 privately-runshelters, provides outreach services around the clock, and offers homelessness preventionservices. Due to the recession, demand for these services is at an all time high. BetweenSeptember 2008 and September 2009, the average daily census at DHS operated sheltersincreased by 10 percent and the total number of new entrants increased by 26 percent.Despite this growing demand, the City has chosen to cut DHSs budget by $8.59 million inFY 2010, $22.07 million in FY 2011 and upwards of $25.6 million in FY 2012 - 2014thereby making it harder for the DHS to effectively combat rising rates of homelessness.

The Mayors planned service cuts will negatively impact those New Yorkers who have been

swept into the system as a result of the economic downturn, as well as veterans of the systemwho rely on DHS for care. The Mayors Budget calls for the closure of a 24-hour drop-incenter in Manhattan. With rising numbers of homeless New Yorkers and winter far fromover, this decision ignores the growing need for shelter. Additionally, the Mayors call forthe elimination of employment specialists at facilities that serve families with children isparticularly concerning, considering that the number of families with children in DHSoperated shelters has risen by 11 percent over the past year. Finally, these cuts target some ofthe most vulnerable populations. The Mayors budget calls for the elimination of almost 100beds for the chronically homeless and those in need of stabilization services.

10. Department of Parks and Recreation

The New York City Department of Parks & Recreation (Parks Department) is the chiefsteward of the City's parkland. Its mission is to build and maintain the parks of the 21stcentury along three guiding principles: increased greening, improved access to recreationaland fitness opportunities, and use of parks as a vehicle for community and economicdevelopment. The Parks Department manages 1,700 parks, playgrounds, and recreationfacilities across the five boroughs.


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The Parks Department runs the Parks Opportunity Program (POP), one of the nations largesttransitional employment programs. In preparation for private sector careers, POPparticipants gain transferable skills in fields such as security, horticulture, administration,maintenance, and customer service. With unemployment at over 10 percent, it seems ill-advised to cut funding for a successful job training program by more than $10 million.Additionally, closing 7 percent of the Citys free outdoor pools will add an extra burden this

summer to families unable to afford summer programs or day care.

11. Department of Small Business Services

The Department of Small Business Services (SBS) provides services and technical assistancedirectly to small businesses and works with local economic development organizations,business improvement districts, Empire Zones and others to help improve neighborhoods.SBS is responsible for the Citys workforce development program, including managing theWorkforce1 Career Center Networks. SBS runs the New York City Business Solution CenterNetworks and has been overseeing the development of the Business Express on-line tools.

Survey respondents identified job creation as the second highest priority area for Citygovernment, and small business owners identified barriers to accessing small business loansand grants as the primary obstacle to success. During a period when small businesses arestruggling and when minority communities are being disproportionately impacted by theeconomic downturn, it is distressing that SBS has decided to cut seven positions from the unitwhose mandate is to increase participation by minority and women owned businessenterprises in the City procurement process a process from which these businesses havebeen historically excluded.

12. Department of Transportation

The mission of the Department of Transportation (DOT) is to ensure the safe, efficient, andenvironmentally responsible movement of people and goods in the City of New York and tomaintain transportation infrastructure in a way that supports that goal. Traditionally, theDOT has been more focused on the movement of vehicles, but under the leadership ofCommissioner Janette Sadik-Khan, it has become more attentive to the needs of pedestriansand cyclists.

The Mayors budget calls for a general reduction of 28 employees agency-wide, including tenpositions responsible for roadway repair and maintenance. Additionally, the budget calls forthe implementation of new fees for debris container permits and street opening permits. TheMayors budget also calls for a 4 percent reduction in East River Ferry Service funding in FY

2010 and an 8 percent reduction in subsequent years. It is important that the DOT continueto focus on gap closing measures that will not result in the decay of transportationinfrastructure or in quality of life deterioration. To this end, it is concerning that the DOT isplanning to eliminate roadway repair positions, albeit by only a small amount thus far.

Our survey respondents indicated that they use the subway, buses, and walking as theirprimary modes of transportation and the modes where they would least like to see cuts. Weencourage the DOT to consider prioritizing pedestrian safety enhancements, Bus Rapid


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Transit routes, and bicycling, as opposed to improvements for personal automobiles whichrespondents favored least.

13. Department of Youth and Community Development

The Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD) was created in 1996 toprovide the City of New York with high-quality youth and family programming. TheDYCDs central task is to administer available City, State and federal funds to effectivecommunity based organizations that offer youth and community development programs,including beacon community centers, corporate internships for youth, literacy for adults,adolescents and families, out-of-school time initiatives, runaway and homeless youthoutreach, summer youth employment programs, and jobs for youth.

DYCD programs offer New York City children safe, supportive and stable environments

during after school hours. However, proposed cuts to 33 school-year Out of School Time(OST) programs and 30 summer programs will leave thousands of children without criticalacademic and social programming that positively impacts their well being. With 4,110 fewerOST slots for Elementary and Middle School students, and an additional 1,940 lost fromMiddle School summer services, many of New York Citys most vulnerable children willface hours of unscheduled time after school, and learning loss associated with unprogrammedsummer months.

14. The New York Public Library

The New York Public Librarys mission is to inspire lifelong learning, advance knowledge,and strengthen our communities through its collections, physical and online space, and staff.

Libraries are an essential part of our communities, yet they are bearing a disproportionateamount of cuts. Mid year cuts to the New York Public Library in 2010 already resulted inservice reductions at two-thirds of the libraries in the Bronx, Manhattan, and Staten Island.The proposed FY 2011 cuts will have a devastating impact on the Library, including reducinglibrary hours to an average of 28 hours per week and hundreds of layoffs. This will result infewer youth programs for teens, computer sessions for job seekers, and items circulated tofamilies and seniors. These cuts are occurring at a time when libraries are seeing greaterneed for their services.

budget priorities for fiscal year 2011

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