Jacques Jiha, Mayor Adams’ prime finances official, stated Wednesday that Adams’ administration can’t decide to utilizing metropolis funds to offset any federal cuts President Trump might push by way of, arguing the sheer amount of money in danger is simply too giant to entertain such a transfer presently.
As a part of its annual finances, town will get almost $10 billion in federal funding that bankrolls numerous initiatives, together with meals and lease help for low-income New Yorkers in addition to teaching programs and well being care companies through Medicaid.
“We cannot make any guarantees about funds at this point in time because so many things [are] coming at us, we don’t know what’s gonna stick, what’s not gonna stick,” Jiha stated at a Metropolis Council listening to Wednesday afternoon when requested if Adams’ administration will search to make use of municipal funding to fill any metropolis finances holes attributable to any federal help cuts enacted Trump and congressional Republicans.
“This is a very tough environment,” Jiha continued. “It’s tough for everyone.”
Moreover, Jiha stated Adams’ crew nonetheless hasn’t satisfied Gov. Hochul’s administration to offer town with any extra state migrant disaster funding.
Final month, Adams’ workplace acknowledged his crew crafted a spending proposal for the subsequent fiscal 12 months that banked on receiving at the very least $1 billion in state migrant funding, and Jiha reiterated at Wednesday’s listening to that the mayor’s crew might have to contemplate metropolis finances cuts if Hochul doesn’t change her thoughts.
“Hopefully, we’ll come to a resolution,” he stated.
Over the previous few years, Adams has applied deep metropolis finances cuts, together with to libraries, parks and different public companies, solely to reverse a lot of them after intense pushback from Council Democrats. Adams has defended the cuts as being essential to offset town’s heavy spending on housing and companies for newly-arrived migrants.
Jiha’s testimony — delivered at a Council Finance Committee listening to that marked the beginning of this 12 months’s municipal finances season — prompt metropolis spending cuts may very well be on the desk once more this 12 months and comes as nervousness’s mounting in regards to the impression Trump’s federal funding threats may have on important native applications.
Jacques Jiha on the Metropolis Council listening to Wednesday, March 5, 2025. (John McCarten / NYC Council Media Unit)
Trump has threatened to withhold federal funds from any native jurisdictions that refuse to conform together with his insurance policies, together with his hardline pledge to focus on undocumented immigrants for “mass deportations” and push to ban transgender youth from college sports activities.
Meantime, Adams has stated he gained’t publicly criticize Trump, whose Justice Division is looking for to drop the mayor’s federal corruption indictment with the bizarre situation that Trump wants Adams unencumbered so he will help facilitate his hardline immigration agenda in New York. The Trump DOJ dismissal request is pending approval from a federal decide.
Trump’s Republican allies within the Home have paved the best way for much more potential cuts. Final month, they handed a finances proposal — but to be accredited by the Senate — that will lower federal spending by $2 trillion by, amongst different issues, slashing funding for the SNAP meals help program and kicking lots of of 1000’s of individuals off Medicaid.
Mayor Adams at a Home listening to Wednesday. (Photograph by SAUL LOEB / AFP) (Photograph by SAUL LOEB/AFP through Getty Photographs)
Jiha, who’s Adams’ prime metropolis finances negotiator, testified he couldn’t supply particular estimates on how a lot federal funding for town may very well be in danger as a result of strikes from Trump and congressional Republicans, saying there are too many unknowns presently.
Jiha did say, “rest assured that we are,” when requested if his Workplace of Administration and Price range crew’s engaged on contingency plans for eventualities involving federal cuts. He stated he didn’t wish to elaborate on these plans, although, arguing that will give Trump’s administration an excessive amount of perception into the method.
Council Finance Committee Chairman Justin Brannan wasn’t satisfied.
Brannan, the Council’s prime finances negotiator, stated there’s a “lack of a plan from City Hall to fight back” towards looming Trump cuts.
He argued that turned clear when Trump’s administration final month dipped into metropolis authorities financial institution accounts and seized $80 million in federal migrant disaster funding whereas falsely claiming the cash was being spent on housing migrants in “luxury hotels.”
Metropolis Councilman Justin Brannan and Metropolis Council Speaker Adrienne Adams. (John McCarten / NYC Council Media Unit)
Adams’ administration finally filed a lawsuit towards Trump looking for to recoup the $80 million. However Brannan argued Adams’ initially muted response — in addition to a flareup inside Jiha’s workplace associated to the court docket case — speaks to a broader drawback.
“The recent $80 million FEMA funding claw back is a perfect example of how compromised our city’s position has become by a mayor who is unwilling to criticize Donald Trump. When it was time to challenge this illegal seizure of funds, we allegedly dumped the problem onto rank-and-file staffers at the Office of Management and Budget, trying to force them to sign documentation to file a lawsuit,” Brannan stated.
“This kind of paralysis is unacceptable,” Brannan instructed Jiha.
Jiha didn’t straight focus on the reported termination menace within the listening to, however instructed Council members that his workplace is coping with lots in the meanwhile.
“We’re trying to do the best we can to do our jobs,” he stated. “This is a very trying time.”
By regulation, the mayor’s workplace and the Council must make a deal on the subsequent metropolis finances by the July 1 begin of the 2026 fiscal 12 months.
Initially Printed: March 5, 2025 at 3:26 PM EST
