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New York City's Government Approved a Budget for the Upcoming Fiscal Year It literally came down to the last day, but both the city's legislature (the City Council, who must vote in favor of a budget) and the city's executive (the Mayor, who can veto the City Council's decision, subject to a possible override vote) came to an agreement and approved a budget for the fiscal year beginning tomorrow, July 1. In total, the budget provides for the city to spend $112 billion; it was approved by the council with three dissenting votes. Among the more contentious issues, the final budget allocates $100 million for early children's programs, $2 billion for various housing programs and other housing-related issues, and enough money to allow the city's library systems to reopen on Sundays. This article discussing it was posted by NY1 News on June 30, 2024. #governmentfinance #budgeting #newyorkcity #budgets #governmentbudgeting https://lnkd.in/etZcemZ8

As New York's lawmakers continue budget negotiations, help us send a clear message: This year, we cannot compromise on universal school meals. More than 320,000 kids in nearly 660 New York schools still cannot access universal no-cost school meals. A patchwork approach that provides free school meals to some—but not all—children is not enough. Determining access to free school meals based on income is a flawed system that leaves students behind. We do not ask students to provide their household income for buses, books, or school-issued technology. The same should be true for school meals. Anything less than a full universal policy undermines the culture of inclusivity that New York’s schools strive to create. The only way to ensure equitable access to school meals is also the simplest solution: Feed all the kids. Call TODAY to tell Governor Kathy Hochul, Carl Heastie, Andrea Stewart-Cousins, and state lawmakers to fully fund #Meals4AllNY in the final state budget: bit.ly/HSMFANY-ActNow 

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Cuts to the New York City Library system is now a total of $58.3 million and will by far impact the most vulnerable among us. Reporting by: Prism Reports: Prism is an independent and nonprofit news outlet led by journalists of color. We report from the ground up and at the intersections of injustice. Together, our journalists go where justice requires. Just a few months after budget cuts left New York City’s public libraries open only six days a week, Mayor Eric Adams has proposed $58 million in further cuts. The libraries have called for a reversal of Adams’ proposal, as the changes would leave them operational only Monday through Friday, with extremely scaled-back services and hours. Sunday service was cut at the end of 2023 as part of Adams’ citywide effort to reduce the budget by $24 million.  City agencies were required to cut spending by 5% despite the City Council’s projections that there will be $3.3 billion more in tax revenue than the administration claims. Libraries still receive less than 1% of the city’s total budget. It’s rare that budget cuts have been this chaotic and unpredictable. Library hours have already been shortened, and if the most recent proposal is approved, this would be the first time in almost a decade that libraries have not been open six days a week at every branch. More here: https://lnkd.in/eYhWHu6G

Public access to educational resources (and recreation), especially prevalent and consistent access, is such an important service to provide. Libraries are the pinnacle of this. They may be going “out of style” in certain respects, but then maybe they should expand more as multi-media and digital media resources. Libraries should be expanding, not contracting. If you want more of your citizens to be productive members of society, invest in their education, and study improvements to incentivizing education and educational resources. If you can justify defunding the spaces to the extent that they’re underutilized, maybe just find ways to get your money’s worth out of those spaces. If the spaces will be empty anyway, consider consolidating some locations of Pre-K education with library locations for educational daycare programs, or deepen partnerships with colleges and other institutions that would rely on media. I’m no longer in New York, but the idea of cutting down on libraries is frightening. I’m not educated on running libraries nor the NYC budget, but bureaucrats in power should be acquainted with how to use it to make solutions and not just juggle the their constituents’ problems around.

Forgive my cynical optimism, but $58.3M sounds like an advertising/marketing campaign to: 1. Bring families with children to a safe third place that doesn't cost anything 2. Encourage reading at any and all ages, because once the book experience grabs you, it's like regular excercise – it makes life better 3. Underpin a partner program with underperforming NYC schools I grew up literally next door to a library. I was there almost every day in the summer. Air conditioning and books!!!! What's the ROI? Goodness, can we all stop the shit about short-term ROI and invest in long-term ROI that is obvious? And before you remind me that the $58.3M is people, and if they had $58.3M laying around then they might not cut staff... I get it. When government spending is cut it is, sadly, people with jobs. The point here is a broader look at line item spending. And another thing... rant... apologize... no one likes a rant... if government or municipal services aren't working to your expectations, the services may be UNDERFUNDED. Business people don't always squeeze profit by cost cutting; they also nurture stability with reinvestment. Government without funding is – speaking of shit – shit. Re-fund libraries. And remind people of the benefits with advertising. #newyorkpubliclibrary #longtermROI #thinkdifferentlyaboutvalue #51group #strategy #businessstrategy #nurturestability #nocutstolibraries #readbooks

Teachers across the state criticized California Gov. Newsom’s new budget proposal, saying that it would ‘wreak havoc on funding for our schools,’ writes Adam Beam in the @AP https://lnkd.in/gwZ_gz6c #CaliforniaTeachers #EducationFunding #SchoolBudget #EducationReform #PublicSchools #TeacherAdvocacy #SchoolFinance

The 3days Public Sector Hearing for FY 2025/26 and the medium term budget was impactful. Why public participation in the budget making process? 1. Better Resource Allocation: When citizens participate, they provide valuable insights into the community's priorities, needs, and preferences. This can result in a budget that better reflects the actual needs of the population, leading to more effective and efficient allocation of resources. 2. Increased Trust in Government: Public involvement fosters trust between citizens and government institutions. When people feel their voices are heard and their concerns are addressed, they are more likely to trust that public officials are acting in their best interests. 3. Social Equity: Public participation helps identify marginalized or vulnerable groups that may not be visible in traditional political processes. Ensuring that their needs are considered can promote more equitable budget decisions that serve all segments of society. 4. Promotes Civic Engagement: Involving the public in the budget process helps educate citizens about the workings of government and encourages ongoing participation in civic matters. This leads to a more informed electorate that is engaged in decision-making processes.

The Tampa Bay Chamber Board of Directors unanimously supports both the Community Investment Tax (CIT) renewal and the education millage increase as critical investments in Hillsborough County's future. The CIT renewal would provide $3.8 billion over 15 years for essential infrastructure projects, with major allocations for transportation (41.4%), public safety (23.4%), and other vital services that support economic growth and quality of life. The education millage would generate $177 million annually to address severe staffing shortages in schools, with 92% dedicated to raising teacher and support staff pay to competitive levels, as Hillsborough currently faces critical vacancies and Florida ranks 50th nationally in teacher compensation. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/eYbEUjXz

🙌💡🌱 I need three extraordinary people who are ready to give it all up for the next 10 hours and 59 minutes. People who are willing to Ask what they can do — and do it. Today. 0️⃣ Confirm you are registered to vote in San Francisco. 1️⃣ Go down to City Hall (rm 48) and take the candidacy oath (required so you can start campaigning). 2️⃣Explain that you are running for SFUSD Board of Education because you think the best city in the world deserves the best schools in the world. 3️⃣ Request and receive signature pages. Find the first 30 residents who don’t like the plan to add another $100 million to the $400 million debt. The people who think competent citizens of the city - not people appointed by somebody in Sacramento due to the current Board of Education’s near-perfect track record of financial mismanagement - should run the $1 billion budget and give the 65,000 kids (and shrinking) a solid foundation - no - an excellent education. Now. The first 30 people who also want Excellence Now. Then go back to room 48. Submit your form. Pay the $500 filing fee. Give me a call (719) 337-5711 and take a break until November 1st (or whenever there’s a debate). Work hard now, play hard until the election on the 5th, and then play hard again until January 1st. Because in 2025 for SFUSD there will be work to do. And we - the four-person new majority of the San Francisco Unified School District Board of Education - we will be doing the work. Ask what you can do. Then go do it. Excellence Now. 🙌💡🌱