After months of uncertainty, New York City Mayor Eric Adams and the City Council reached an agreement on a new 2025 budget that would restore funding for libraries, parks, museums and cultural institutions that had been slated for cuts.
The new budget announced Thursday by the mayor’s office will restore $58 million to the New York, Brooklyn and Queens library systems; $53 million to cultural institutions and museums; and add $15 million to the city’s parks department for maintenance and cleaning efforts.
The deal was reached before a midnight deadline on June 30, but full terms have not yet been released.
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In April, the mayor’s office released a $111.6 billion budget proposal that reversed many of the cuts made in November to city programs, but included cuts to the library system, which reduced its hours to five days a week and had to delay the reopening of some branches because of the November cuts.
Budget cuts to the arts this year have had a “devastating impact,” resulting in closures, layoffs, reduced hours and cuts in services, Lucy Sexton, executive director of the New York Arts Council, said last week at a rally led by City Council Speaker Adrian Adams and leaders of numerous cultural institutions, including the Brooklyn Academy of Music, the American Museum of Natural History, the Public Theater and Carnegie Hall.
Despite the contentious nature of the budget process, Mayor Adams has repeatedly stated that he and Speaker Adams will “get it right” on the budget.
“From day one, our administration has been focused on serving working-class New Yorkers, and working side by side with our partners, we are proud to announce a full restoration of funding for our libraries and cultural institutions in the upcoming budget. These institutions are an essential part of New York City’s social fabric, and New Yorkers’ children and the vitality of our city depend on them,” the mayor said in a statement.
“Our arts and cultural institutions and libraries are foundational pillars of our city, and New Yorkers rely on their services every day,” said Speaker Adams in a statement. “The City Council has long advocated for restoration funding for these institutions as a top priority, and we are proud to have successfully reached an agreement with Mayor Adams and the Administration to secure these critical investments in the City budget.”
The City Council will vote on a new budget on Sunday. City reported Thursday.
