Bloomberg Offers Preliminary 2010 Budget to Close $4 Billion Deficit

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has presented a $58.8 billion preliminary budget for FY2010, which includes steps to close a $4 billion budget deficit through equal measures of expenditure cuts, federal fiscal assistance, labor concessions and tax increases.

"This is a tough time for our City and our nation," said Bloomberg. "Our economy has worsened significantly. Tax revenues keep falling." Since November, the projected deficit for FY2010 has increased by $2 billion.

Among the budget cutting measures which would impact human service providers are the following:

DYCD:

• Elimination of OST Option II Programs - $6 million;
• Reduce OST Summer Services - $2.9 million;
• Eliminate 1,450 Summer Youth Employment Slots - $2.1 million;
• Eliminate 240 OST Option I slots in 3 programs - $405,000;

ACS:

• 5% Reduction in FBH Admin Rates - $5.7 million;
• Reduce Low Priority Child Care - $7.1 million;
• 10% Reduction in Foster Parent Support for providers which have not met performance goals -- $909,000;
• Elimination of 234 child protective personnel -- $7.3 million;
• Elimination of 315 staff positions through reorganization of Family Permanency and Family Support services - $8.2 million.

DFTA:

• 5% reduction in senior center funding - $5.3 million;
• 4.5% reduction in case management contracts - $1.1 million;
• Savings from scaling back expansion of home delivered meals - $1.4 million.

DSS:

• Reestimate of Residential Substance Abuse Services - $984,000;
• Reduce nutrition program administration - $491,000;
• Reduce contracted HIV/AIDS Case Management staff - $1.9 million;
• Delays in NY/NY III congregate supportive housing units - $2.4 million;
• Employment services efficiencies - $1.6 million.

DHS:

• Implementation of performance-based payments for adult shelter providers - $4 million;
• Eliminate recreation staff from shelter contracts - $2.4 million;
• Eliminate direct social service staff in hotels - $1.1 million;
• Eliminate clothing bank contract - $221,000;
• Eliminate home care kits for families - $354,000.

DHMH:

• Reestimate funding for supportive housing development - $4.5 million;
• Reduce spending on Early Intervention Program - $3 million;
• Community-based mental hygiene program savings - $1.1 million;
• Reduced expansion of Primary Care Capacity Initiative - $2.7 million.