New York Note: Council Budget Response, Mayoral Equity Plan, Record Low Crime

NYC Council Releases Alternative Budget Framework for FY26–27

The New York City Council released its response to Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s Preliminary Budget proposal, presenting an alternative budget framework for Fiscal Years 2026 and 2027 that identifies $6 billion in resources to address projected funding shortfalls. The Council said its proposal would fund spending priorities without increasing property or rent-related taxes, reducing funding for core services, or drawing down City reserve funds.

The Council’s response addresses approximately $1.1 billion in priorities that were negotiated into the FY 2026 budget but were not baselined in the Mayor’s Preliminary Budget, restoring funding by identifying alternative resources to support them. These priorities include funding for cultural institutions, operational support for the City’s three public library systems, housing- and domestic violence–related legal services, student mental health services, and CUNY Reconnect for working-age adults pursuing degrees. The response also outlines strategies to close the budget gap through re-estimates of City revenues and expenditures, efficiencies and reforms, and targeted revenue enhancements, while prioritizing expanded Fair Fares and increased investments in college savings accounts. The Council’s full response to the Fiscal 2027 Preliminary Budget and Fiscal 2026 Preliminary Mayor’s Management Report is available here.

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Mayor Releases Preliminary Citywide Racial Equity Plan and True Cost of Living Measure

Mayor Zohran Mamdani released the Preliminary Citywide Racial Equity Plan and the inaugural NYC True Cost of Living Measure, two reports mandated by voter‑approved referendums in 2022. The Racial Equity Plan establishes the city’s first government‑wide framework requiring agencies to set data‑driven goals to address disparities across areas including housing, health, and economic opportunity. The True Cost of Living Measure found that 62% of New Yorkers do not meet the actual cost of living, despite many earning above the federal poverty line. City officials said the reports will be used to track inequities, guide policy decisions, and inform future efforts to address affordability and racial disparities across the five boroughs.

NYPD Reports Record‑Low Murders and Decline in Major Crime

Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch announced that New York City recorded 54 murders across the five boroughs in the first three months of 2026, the lowest total for that period in recorded history and a 28% decline from the same period last year. Overall major crime fell more than 5%, with significant drops in murders in Brooklyn and Manhattan and no murders reported on Staten Island, though the Bronx saw a slight increase in killings. Shootings matched last year’s record-low levels, while robberies, burglaries, felony assaults, auto thefts, and grand larceny all declined citywide. Rape and confirmed hate crimes increased, which police attributed in part to changes in state law and updated reporting methods. See the full transcript here.

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