On Wednesday, Mayor Eric Adams released his first preliminary budget proposal for fiscal year 2023. The $98.5 billion proposal is slightly lower than last year’s $98.7 billion adopted budget. The proposal closes a nearly $3 billion budget gap primarily through a “Program to Eliminate the Gap (PEG)”. The PEG debuted last month when the Mayor announced that nearly every City agency would reduce its expenses by 3%. While the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) and NYC Health + Hospitals (H+H) were exempt from this process, the budget reduces City funding for DOHMH and H+H by about $200 million each. Spending for many City agencies last year was higher due to Federal relief funding that is no longer available.
The Mayor’s budget also addresses maternal mortality and morbidity. It funds “Maternal Medical Home and Obstetric Simulation Training” to coordinate care for high-risk patients and will train H+H staff for obstetric emergencies. It also baselines the “New Family Home Visits” program by providing it with annual funding. The program provides comprehensive screening and referral services for first-time mothers in neighborhoods hardest hit by the pandemic. The budget also seeks to expand access to mental health care to address gun violence.
The City Council will hold hearings and propose recommendations for the preliminary budget throughout most of March. The Mayor and the City Council will adopt a final budget by July 1, the start of the City’s next fiscal year.