NYC Council wants to boost spending over Eric Adams $115B proposal, claiming city has billions more to allocate

City Council leaders claimed the Big Apple’s coffers are flush with billions more in cash than the mayor’s office projected – and they want to use the extra dough to spend millions on education, mental health and housing services.City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams unveiled the council’s $116.8 billion proposed budget for next fiscal year that would commit hundreds of millions of expenses due to a more optimistic outlook on city finances than the mayor’s proposed spending plan.“The Council’s preliminary budget response lays outs a balanced, responsible and forward thinking path for our city and New Yorkers to achieve stability,” Adams said during a Wednesday press conference.“It’s a vision for the city budget that delivers on what our communities need more than what is presented in the mayor’s preliminary budget.”Mayor Eric Adams — who is not related to the speaker — had pitched a record-breaking $114.5 billion budget that he boasted also had an array of investments in mental health, parks and quality-of-life programs – though council members said at the time certain funding wasn’t big enough.But City Council staff identified $6.3 billion more funds available officials said would be aimed at restoring and adding to certain services while preparing for whatever the Trump administration might throw at New York.Part of the council plan calls for an additional $795 million in education funding, including about $197 million to restore funds to 3-K and pre-K and another $378.9 million toward health and public safety programs.The council would also devote $114.5 million to housing and another $280.3 million funneled toward various city institutions, including to libraries that would expand seven-day service to 10 more branches.The Parks Department would also get more than $60 million under the council proposal.“When we meaningfully invest in our communities and prepare the city for the chaos coming from Washington we can create a future ...