Mayor Eric Adams joined “Mornings On 1” Wednesday to discuss a proposed $109.4 billion budget for Fiscal Year 2025 he revealed Tuesday.
Adams attributed the balanced budget to measures taken early in the process, including a hiring freeze and the Program to Eliminate the Gap, which urged city agencies to cut expenditures.
"We have focused on people, public spaces, and public safety. That's the foundation of the budget, and when you look at some of the restorations, it zeros in on those young people, it zeros in keeping our streets clean with public spaces, and zeros in on public safety," Adams said.
Acknowledging the challenges of making cuts, Adams highlighted the necessity of considering multiple factors, including public safety, libraries, sanitation and schools.
“You have to focus and say, ‘What are your priorities?’ And that's what we did by saying, ‘people, public spaces and public safety,’" he said.
The budget will undergo negotiations with the City Council, requiring approval by July 1, which marks the beginning of the next fiscal year.