New York City Mayor Eric Adams on Thursday released a $115.1 billion fiscal year 2026 Executive Budget, promoting funding for public safety, police and education.
Additionally, the budget includes funds for initiatives that increases affordability, cleans city streets and parks, builds more affordable housing, infrastrucutre projects, and expands early childhood education and universal after-school, according to a press release.
"This is the budget my mom needed, that my family needed, and, with it, we’re saying to working families: your city has your back," the mayor said.
The budget includes his administration's push for the NYPD to have 35,000 officers by the fall of 2026. There will be $7.6 million to fund alternatives to incarceration services, including case management, substance abuse programming, group counseling, housing placement assistance, health care, and other services for adults charged with a crime. Over $11 million was allocated to nonprofits and programs that help recently decarcerated individuals with various re-entry services.
The city's social services programs will be funded through $251 million for Medicaid contributions; about $177 million for City Fighting Homelessness and Eviction Prevention Supplement (CityFHEPS) rental assistance program; about $130 million for Cash Assistance contribution; and about $103 million for the foster care system.
The mayor also said the city would launch “After-School for All,” a universal after-school program for K-5 students by the fall of 2027. As previously announced, Adams also wants to hire 3,700 new teachers to reduce class sizes, spend about $55 million to support 700 early childehood education programs for 3- and 4-year-olds and make sure every 3-K seat is filled.
Some educational programs that were paid for by pandemic-era federal funding will become permanent, including arts education, counselling, digital learning resources for both students and teachers, and tutoring support.
About $650 million will be allocated to tackle homelessness and support people experiencing severe mental illness, and over $1 billion will be used to hire school nurses, fund older adult programs and services, mobile treatment care, trash pick up, support for cultural institutions, libraries, summer youth programs, among other initiatives.
About $36 million will be allocated to fund over 700 food pantries; $30 million for CUNY; about $39 million for Big Apple Connect, providing high-speed internet services to the residents of New York City Housing Authority complexes; and $20 million for Fair Fares.
As part of the city's 10-year capital plan, the mayor said the reconstruction of the Brooklyn Marine Terminal will also continue to be funded.
City Comptroller Brad Lander said the mayor's budget does not include likely federal funding cuts.
“Eric Adams’ Executive Budget is from a fantasyland where Trump’s tariffs aren’t increasing the likelihood of an economic downturn and federal budget cuts aren’t looming," he said "By refusing to put more money into reserves and prepare for the reality we are facing, Adams is once again failing to protect New Yorkers. Meanwhile, his carelessness has resulted in a $1.4 billion deficit of expenses over revenue in the current fiscal year. Maybe that’s his idea of the ‘best budget ever’ or ‘making New York City great again,’ but it is increasingly detached from reality.”
The budget announcement kicks off negotiations with the City Council, where the two sides will have to come to an agreement by the end of June.
City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams and Finance Chair Justin Brannan said the mayor's fiscal 2026 budget "is a better start" from previous years.
"While we must remain vigilant and prepared for the chaos and threats from the Trump administration, we cannot do it at the expense of the essential investments in our city and services for New Yorkers," the two said through a statement.
