Some City Council members say the mayor's budget plan does not go far enough to protect against potential cuts from President Donald Trump's administration. NY1's Grace Rauh filed the following report.
New York City is bracing for a fiscal hit from Washington and President Donald Trump.
With the promised repeal of Obamacare, there are questions about funding for the city's public hospital system, and fears about the financial health of the public housing system, home to 400,000 New Yorkers and already strapped for cash.
Then, there's the direct threat from Trump to cut federal funding for so-called sanctuary cities, municipalities like New York that refuse to cooperate with federal officials trying to deport immigrants living here illegally.
But in his preliminary budget address, Mayor Bill de Blasio would not predict exactly how much money may be on the line now that Trump is in charge.
"I think it would be irresponsible, literally irresponsible to try to project things where there are no guideposts at this point," de Blasio said. "I'm trying to be as straightforward as I can be."
About 10 percent of the city's budget is comprised of federal dollars, so the cuts could be quite significant.
"The impact of a Donald Trump presidency casts a long shadow over the budget of New York City, but I see no evidence that we are bracing for the worst-case scenario," said City Councilman Ritchie Torres of the Bronx.
"I think it is prudent that we actually save more," said City Councilman Julissa Ferreras of Queens. "I am very concerned with the expressions that the president has made. And we have to hold him to what he has said."
The mayor's budget plan does call for $1.6 billion in savings, with additional money to be set aside for health care costs. The city's budget has grown by 20 percent on his watch.
Still, there are some limits to what the city is willing to pay for. Discounted MetroCards for low-income New Yorkers are out. The mayor says the city can't afford them.
This is just the mayor's opening budget shot. He'll issue a revised financial plan in the spring, and then a final budget deal is due by the end of June.