Council Member Eric Dinowitz

FY22
Recovery Budget
A recovery for the future of
New York City!


Dear Neighbor,

Last week, I had the honor and privilege to stand on the floor and be your voice in the New York City Council Chamber. It was the first time the Council has met live and in-person since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. While we have been meeting on Zoom, to actually come to the Chamber to speak was a humbling experience thinking about all those in the 11th Council District who I have the opportunity to represent. That day in City Hall was also a very important and significant event – the passing of a historic NYC budget. 


The FY22 budget represents $98.7 billion in bringing NYC towards a recovery that recognizes the inequality we have witnessed during the pandemic. It will expand investments in our social programs and restore cuts to programs devastated over the last year.


As we are bringing back funding to services that have historically served New Yorkers, we also need to keep in mind the lives that hold the key to the future of this city – our students. As I said in my first live floor speech,


I may be new to the Council but as a former special education teacher, I am not new to the hardships our students face every day in the classroom.

Our students’ mental health has taken a toll from remote learning. This is why I am pleased that we funded $81 million to hire 500 additional school social workers. This will put at least one social worker in every school.


We added $605 million to increase fair student funding which will ensure for the first time that 100% of schools are fully funded. Principals will be able to hire more teachers, expand enrichment programs and more in order for our students to get back on track! And not only are we providing funding for a better experience in school, but at home too.


We have seen people struggle with food insecurity. I watched my students take extra food out of school so that they could have a meal at home or feed a family member. Yesterday, we renewed the special supplementary funding of $25 million for community-based food pantries. We are also providing funding to give families the security that they need while maintaining a city
which is fair and just.

We are creating jobs and getting people back to work! Essential funding was restored to the Parks Department to bring back maintenance workers, parks enforcement personnel, and urban park rangers. Similarly, we are on track to hire 10,000 New Yorkers to partake in the City Cleanup Corps (CCC). Plus $7 million to expand compost drop-off sites.


We will triple the workforce in cure violence programs as part of the Crisis Management System, a program that has proven to prevent violence by de-escalating conflict. A new $4 million Council created initiative in response to the rise in anti-Asian hate crimes will be funded. Also, $3.3 million for the Council’s Trans Equity initiative to empower the transgender and gender non-conforming community. While it is encouraging to see the investments that we are making towards the recovery of our city, I fought hard to make sure that the needs of the North and Northwest Bronx are not overlooked.


Locally, I am pleased to tell you that I secured nearly $15 million in capital project funding. This includes giving schools in our district over $4 million for technology and facility improvements. Our parks will receive nearly $7 million for enhancement and safety upgrades. Hundreds of thousands of dollars will also be spent locally on our senior centers, community centers and organizations to be used for local programming which I will share with you in the coming weeks.


The goal of this budget is to recover from the pandemic and come back stronger than ever, but it’s only the first step. While there is more work that needs to be done so that no New Yorker is left behind, I will continue to fight for all of you and be your voice in City Hall.


Sincerely,

Council Member Eric Dinowitz
New York City Council
District 11
718-549-7300



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