New York City FY12 Budget Update

New York City Department of Cultural Affairs

 

Dear Members,

Please read the budget update below from our government relations consultants Claudia Wagner and Adam Rich.

While the message below gives "hope" that the City Council will endeavor to restore funding to the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs (DCLA), we should not take this for granted. Since the Council is trying to sign a deal with the Mayor by 6/14 (which could change) we need your help ASAP.


STEPS YOU CAN TAKE TO HELP US SECURE DCLA RESTORATION

  1. If you have a show running please download this letter and insert it in your programs tonight and/or tomorrow night. Pre-show curtain speeches urging audience members to participate, and/or assigning a staff member or volunteer to stand in the lobby to collect and distribute letters will increase your response rate.

  2. If you do not have a show running, please get your staff, and anyone else you can to sign the letter TODAY. Please note, only NYC Residents should sign the letter.

 

MAIL ALL OF THE LETTERS IMMEDIATELY TO:

Honorable Christine Quinn, Speaker
New York City Council
250 Broadway, Suite 1856
New York, NY 10007

These letters will make a powerful impact and our voices will be heard!

 

 


Thank you!

Ginny Louloudes
Executive Director, A.R.T./New York

NEW YORK CITY FY12 BUDGET UPDATE

From government relations consultants Claudia Wagner & Adam Rich

After more than three weeks of testimony from agencies and the public, the New York City Council concluded its hearings on the CFY12 Executive Budget last night (June 6, 2011). Final details will now be hammered out in negotiations between the Administration and the Council, and the Council has until June 30 to vote on a final CFY12 Budget (July 1, 2011-June 30, 2012).

Though the Administration, the Council, and the Independent Budget office have slightly varying assessments of the City's fiscal condition, there is general agreement that revenues are starting to recover. However, the City will struggle this year to replace sharp losses of federal and state funds to key programs. Another perennial concern are "uncontrollable" costs: For example, in CFY12, employer contributions to the City pension system will increase by 20 percent (about $1.4 billion) over last year's level. Additionally, while the Mayor has presented a budget that is in balance for CFY12, the City is projecting a CFY13 budget gap of more than $3 billion.

In the last few months, the Council has identified several of the Mayor's proposed cuts it would like to restore, including proposed teacher layoffs, elimination of day care slots, firehouse closures, and cuts to the libraries and cultural organizations. The key questions in the coming days will be: how much money the City Council will have to distribute, how much it will dedicate to these priorities, and how much will be left over for other restorations and spending. The general consensus among the Council Members is that there will less "discretionary" funds for CFY12 than was available for CFY11.

The Capital budget received less focus during the Council hearings, and it is unclear how much new Capital funding, if any, will be available.

The City Council's Budget Negotiating Team (BNT) and the various borough delegations will start meeting regularly now to finalize Council spending priorities.

We will keep you apprised of developments.