With the state budget deadline just days away and New York City’s own budget talks underway, Public Advocate Jumaane Williams is giving New Yorkers a front-row seat to the numbers.
His office on Tuesday launched Build-A-Budget, an interactive tool that lets residents experiment with ways to balance the city budget and highlights the need for taxing the city’s wealthiest residents to maintain services.
The simulation puts users in control, letting them see where the city’s money comes from, how it’s spent and the choices that go into keeping the books balanced. Participants can adjust spending across agencies and programs and explore revenue-raising options at the state level. Once they’ve tried their hand at balancing the budget, users can submit their plans to the Public Advocate’s office, which will review responses and compile insights from the public.
"When we talk about the budget, we often talk about the few people in the room and making the decisions. That obscurity gives power to the few, as rich donors try to build our budget behind closed doors – now people can engage with the numbers right from their phones," Williams said in a statement.
The tool starts with the projected Fiscal Year 2027 budget deficit and offers a menu of revenue options designed to close the gap. It’s meant to demystify a process that often feels locked behind closed doors and allows New Yorkers a chance to see trade-offs firsthand, describing it as both educational and, in a way, fun.
Build-A-Budget encourages civic engagement while underscoring a central message: meaningful, common-sense revenue measures are key to keeping city services strong without forcing cuts. New Yorkers can try the tool at advocate.nyc.gov/BuildABudget and see the trade-offs for themselves.
