You may have already heard that the City Council passed the budget for Fiscal Year 2018, which begins on July 1, not just on time, but the earliest in a quarter century.
That itself is a win, but Councilman Stephen Levin highlighted some of the victories from the latest budget.
- Bushwick Inlet Park
- The budget formally puts in the money to purchase the rest of the park, thanks to contributions from Levin ($2 million), Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito ($2 million) and Borough President Eric Adams ($1 million.)
- The total deal comes out to $160 million, which the city negotiated.
- “It’s also important to highlight the tremendous grassroots support that galvanized the community,” Levin said. “This would not have been possible without the tireless advocacy from the community, especially the Friends of Bushwick Inlet Park and the Open Space Alliance for North Brooklyn.”
- Funding for the hungry
- $18.4 million in expanded funding for the Emergency Food Assistance Program.
- 31% of food pantries and soup kitchens had to turn people away due to food shortages.
- 49% of food pantries ran out of food.
- Closing the literacy gap
- The City Council increasing funding to early childhood literacy initiative to $4.242 million.
