The camaraderie between Mayor Eric Adams and Gov. Kathy Hochul was on full display Tuesday.
“You remind me of Sandra, my favorite sister. Even when we have a philosophical disagreement, I have her back. And I have your back,” Adams told Hochul Tuesday.
“Partnerships are important, but also individual leadership, and I want to commend you for what you’ve done for our beloved city. So thank you mayor,” Hochul said to Adams.
What You Need To Know
- Mayor Eric Adams and Gov. Kathy Hochul showed a united political front on Tuesday
- The two were chummy while seated next to each other at the New York State Financial Control Board’s annual meeting
- The state and city have been facing off in court over the ongoing influx of migrants arriving in New Yor
- Over 100,000 migrants have arrived in the city since the spring of 2022
The two were seated next to each other at the New York State Financial Control Board’s annual meeting Tuesday. They smiled and congratulated each other multiple times.
The show of unity is in stark contrast to the city and state’s disagreements over the ongoing influx of migrants arriving in New York.
The state said the city has been slow to respond to help or accept shelter locations. Then the city responded back that the state hasn’t reimbursed the city fast enough and that their offered locations weren’t viable.
However, none of that dispute came up at Tuesday’s meeting.
Instead, the two sides seem to be in agreement that the city is facing serious budget gaps from labor contracts, migrants and the end of federal COVID-19 programs.
“The spending pressures I outlined today won’t impact the city’s budget until fiscal year 2025, but tough decisions lie ahead,” said state Comptroller Tom DiNapoli.
DiNapoli called on the federal government to step in financially to support arriving migrants.
“The migrant crisis should qualify as a national emergency and is best suited for a federal response. That response should include providing matching funds to help shoulder the immense burden of the city, and to provide policy solutions, including orderly review of cases for asylum,” DiNapoli said.
City Comptroller Brad Lander had a similar message, saying the city is doing well economically, but fiscal pressures are ahead.
Adams over the last year has ordered two savings initiatives called the Program to Eliminate the Gap — one last September and another in April.
On Tuesday, Lander offered the idea of regularly instituting savings.
“Such an approach would better identify long-term efficiencies, including staff management and efficiency planning that prevent overreliance on unsustainable vacancies and overtime, while preserving and strengthening the capacity to meet critical needs,” Lander said.
Adams also ordered a vacancy reduction last November. All the budget cuts were aimed at offsetting the growing costs of supporting incoming asylum seekers.
The estimated budget cliffs facing the city in the next two years range from $8 billion to $13 billion.
