Adams’s budget for the 2026 fiscal year seems promising at first glance. It sets aside $114.5 billion dollars, funded by taxes, grants, government funding, revenue from the MTA, charter schools, etc., to fund salaries and pensions of NYC government employees, medical and public assistance programs, and stabilize the budget from the previous year. For 2026, a large portion of the budget has been set aside for new initiatives, including rental assistance, school nurses, safe haven beds and homeless shelters, a “Bridge to Home” pilot program that will provide housing to unhoused individuals suffering from mental illness, infrastructure upgrades at Woodhull Outposted Therapeutic Housing Unit, enhancing the Department of Corrections hiring initiatives, swim safety programming, the “City of Yes” housing opportunity (which we discussed with Jonathan Bowles last class), and the “Axe the Tax” initiative that seeks to eliminate the NYC personal income tax for eligible working class families. The budget also tackles issues of housing affordability, quality of life (through funding for the Department of Parks and Recreation), and education. Most of these initiatives sound great, addressing growing issues such as housing and cleanliness (i.e., the rat problem). Added initiatives to help the unhoused and the working class could help thousands of NYC residents. 

            However, a closer look reveals a major issue with the proposed budget: it drastically underestimates the required funding for the proposed initiatives. The Citizens Budget Commission estimates that Adams is at least $4 billion short to achieve everything outlined in his proposal. The NY Post and NYC Comptroller Brad Lander echoed this statement, expressing exasperation that the city is once again underbudgeted and overspending. The NY Post puts the blame not only on Adams but also the City Council, who is in charge of approving the proposal. Lander also pointed out that the budget notably lacks funding for the city’s 3K programs and CUNY, as well as the Housing First pilot program. In my opinion, any initiative, however promising, is doomed to fail if it is not provided the resources it needs to succeed. Of course, there is also the issue of the new presidential administration and the uncertainties regarding the national economy going forward, for which Adams’s proposal does not adequately account. Yet, an expanding job market, growing tourism, and strong economic growth in the city are hopeful indicators of a strengthening city economy. 

After reading up on Adams’s budget proposal and the Citizens Budget Commission, I have three main questions for Andrew Rein:

1. You’ve had an interesting career journey, starting at at the CBC and then pursuing a variety of roles primarily in public health organizations, including the CDC, NYC Health Department, and NYU Lutheran. What was it about public health that sparked your interest, and what brought you back to the CBC? What is your stance on the city’s initiatives and budget allocations for health-related programs? 
2. The NY Post quoted your response to Adams’s budget for the 2026 fiscal year in which you said, “Hard choices and better management are needed to improve New Yorkers’ quality of life.” What exactly do you think these choices have to look like in order to set the city back on track? If Adams underbudgeted, then something has to go. What would that be?
3. The 2026 budget noticeably lacks any additional initiatives to support CUNY, who has been suffering from underfunding for a while. What are your thoughts on this? How can the city do better to financially support CUNY going forward?