Mayor Eric Adams on Wednesday said his administration had ruled out budget cuts to the city's public library systems, but library officials said approximately $36 million in reductions were still on the table.

Asked if libraries would retain their current levels of funding during an appearance on "Mornings On 1," Adams said that was "exactly what I'm stating."

"I knew we were dealing with fiscal times crises coming out of the pandemic, and we told all of the agencies we had to do Programs to Eliminate the Gaps," he said, referring to his plan to reduce city spending. "Then we looked and reviewed and determined what money we would put back in certain areas, and one of them is clearly libraries."

Soon afterward, however, library officials said the mayor was merely planning to roll back an additional 4% cut proposed in April that received swift backlash from advocates and some city leaders.

While the five boroughs' public libraries will no longer face $52.7 million in cuts, they still face a proposed reduction of $36.2 million, the officials said.

The three presidents of the New York Public Library, the Queens Public Library and the Brooklyn Public Library have said that reduction would result in reduced hours, as well as fewer programs and classes, according to library officials.

Later in the interview, Adams continued to sound the alarm about the ongoing cost of caring for the influx of asylum seekers living in New York City. He said approximately 60,000 asylum seekers now live in the city, and the economic toll can no longer be ignored.

“This is a national problem. I’ve said it over and over again. New York City should not be bearing the brunt of that problem,” he said. “The reality is the White House must do more, and Republicans must stop the failure to move forward with real immigration reform.”

The Mayor's Office of Management and Budget has stated they anticipate the full cost for asylum seekers to be approximately $1.4 billion in FY 2023 and $2.8 billion in FY 2024.

Some New York City lawmakers, such as City Council Finance Chair Justin Brannan, have taken issue with the eye-popping figure, asking OMB to provide a breakdown of the numbers.

New York City officials in March submitted an application to the Federal Emergency Management Agency for $350 million to offset costs associated with aiding asylum seekers.

The requests also ask for an additional $300 million to offset the $654 million the city has already spent on housing and food, as well as reimbursement for legal services, school enrollment and other services the city has set up for arriving migrants.