Mayor Adams urged state lawmakers Tuesday to offer his administration with extra migrant disaster funding this 12 months — however his plea didn’t transfer the needle with Gov. Hochul, who has already declared she’s not seeking to earmark extra such assets for New York Metropolis.
Adams delivered the request for extra migrant disaster help earlier than members of the State Senate Finance and State Meeting Methods and Means Committees. The annual listening to options mayors from throughout the state who trek to Albany to put out their fiscal wants earlier than legislators and the governor start talks in earnest on the state finances due within the spring.
In ready testimony, Adams stated the town has spent about $6.9 billion on caring for tens of 1000’s of largely Latin American migrants since spring 2022 and that his group anticipates that price ticket will preserve swelling in coming years.
Migrants line up on E. seventh St. and Avenue B to get right into a migrant re-ticketing middle at St. Brigid College on Friday, Jan. 5, 2024. (Barry Williams for New York Each day Information)
Adams — who warned in 2023 the price of the migrant disaster “will destroy” New York — advised lawmakers that with out extra state assist, his administration is left with a $1.1 billion metropolis finances gap that have to be addressed with spending cuts or income will increase earlier than the plan’s due by the July 1 begin of the 2026 fiscal 12 months.
On Jan. 16, Adams unveiled a 2026 fiscal 12 months metropolis finances proposal that was balanced.
However his finances director, Jacques Jiha, revealed to reporters after Tuesday’s listening to that Adams’ newest plan was solely balanced as a result of his group operated below the belief that the town would get new state migrant disaster funding.
New York Metropolis Finances Director Jacques Jiha, middle, testifies earlier than the State Senate Finance and New York State Meeting Methods and Means Committees in Albany on Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2025. (Michael Appleton / Mayoral Pictures Workplace)
The $1.1 billion gap, Jiha stated, comes from the truth that Hochul didn’t make good on that assumption when she launched an government state finances proposal on Jan. 21 that included no new migrant disaster assist for the town.
And Hochul’s group didn’t budge on that situation Tuesday.
“The FY26 Executive Budget does not include any new funding for the migrant crisis, and our position has not changed,” Avi Small, Hochul’s spokesman, stated after Adams’ testimony.
Adams, who has sometimes aligned with Hochul on most points, advised reporters outdoors the listening to room he’ll attempt to change her thoughts.
“The state needs to help us,” he stated, including he would meet privately with Hochul later within the day.
Mayor Adams, middle, testifies earlier than the New York State Senate Finance and New York State Meeting Methods and Means Committees in Albany on Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2025. (Michael Appleton / Mayoral Pictures Workplace)
Additionally in Tuesday’s listening to, Jiha revealed the town hasn’t but drawn down all of $2.4 billion in migrant disaster funding the state supplied final 12 months. Jiha stated the town has solely obtained $1 billion of final 12 months’s allocation so far.
He prompt a majority of the funding the town was supplied final 12 months stays untapped as a result of it’s unlocked on a reimbursement foundation, which means Adams’ administration submits receipts for related bills that the state then gives cash towards.
Jiha famous the town at present has about $750 million in excellent claims. That leaves about $650 million from final 12 months that has but to be claimed by the town.
Adams’ spokespeople didn’t return requests for touch upon why the town hasn’t submitted claims for the excellent money.
Gov. Kathy Hochul. (Susan Watts / Workplace of Governor Kathy Hochul)
In addition to migrant disaster funding, Adams testified Tuesday he hopes Albany can act on three priorities he has highlighted for months: Cross a invoice that might get rid of metropolis revenue tax for low-income New Yorkers; cross a invoice that might increase the flexibility to involuntarily hospitalize mentally ailing people; and undo a number of the 2020 prison justice legal guidelines that put extra necessities on the methods through which prosecutors share proof with defendants in prison circumstances in the course of the pre-trial discovery part.
These three priorities weren’t as extensively mentioned in Tuesday’s listening to, and it’s unclear what kind of urge for food the Democrat-controlled Legislature — which crafted the invention reforms — may need to roll them again.
Hochul has voiced help for rolling again the invention reforms, and can also be backing the mayor’s pushes for scrapping metropolis revenue tax for some residents and increasing the involuntary dedication requirements.
Initially Revealed: February 4, 2025 at 4:00 PM EST
