NYC Council passes $112.4B budget with 3 dissenting votes from democratic socialists over NYPD pet projects

The New York City Council adopted a massive $112.4 billion spending plan Sunday in a 46-3 vote  – with the dissenting votes coming from three Democratic socialist representatives.Mayor Eric Adams – who negotiated the deal with Council leadership – applauded the action, which saw the only opposition from council members Tiffany Caban, Shahana Hanif and Alexa Aviles.The new fiscal year 2025 budget runs from July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2025.“Our administration’s mission is clear: Protect public safety, rebuild our economy, and make this city more livable — and this budget is a direct testament to that mission,” the mayor said in a statement.The spending plan announced Friday increases spending by $1 billion over the mayor’s executive budget plan.The budget includes the addition of $2 billion in capital construction spending to preserve and build more affordable housing while restoring funding to libraries, museums and other cultural institutions as well as students support programs such as summer rising.Both Adams and Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, who are not related, discussed an overhaul of the pre-k and 3-k programs to make sure classroom seats are going to areas of the city where there is parental demand.The mayor said he and the council approved a fiscally responsible budget that meets New York’s needs despite grappling with costs associated with the migrant crisis and the phase-out of federal pandemic aid.“We still passed a collaborative budget that addresses the three things that cost New Yorkers the most: housing, childcare, and health care,” he said.Brooklyn Councilman Justin Brannan, the finance committee chairman said, “Reports of New York City’s demise have been greatly exaggerated.But making sure New York City remains the Capital of the World is hard work and doesn’t happen on its own.

That’s why what we invest in for the next 12 months matters.”The three dissenting democratic socialists complained that too much mo...