Who at City Hall Is Taking Away Agency Money?
The City Council’s Finance Chair Wants to Solve the Mystery
The City Council’s finance chair, Justin Brannan (D-Brooklyn), wants to solve the mystery of how many of Mayor Eric Adams’ hires are funded by agency budget lines, fearing it may “exacerbate” hiring issues at pivotal city agencies. In a letter sent on February 18, Brannan asked budget director Jacques Jiha for a full breakdown of how many salary lines are “borrowed” at city agencies to pay for jobs at City Hall.
‘This Has Only Served to Exacerbate Personnel Issues’
Agencies are allocated a certain number of budget lines in their expense budget for staff, broken out by positions, titles, salaries, and other expenses. Department insiders told THE CITY that they were not happy with the idea of paying for staffers for the mayor’s office. Brannan, who is running for city comptroller, stated that the Department of Buildings, for example, is carrying around $2 million in salary lines for City Hall staffers. The department has seen 25% of its budgeted workforce eliminated since 2022, the New York Post reported last year.
‘An Old Budget Trick Being Abused’
Brannan expressed his concerns in a letter, stating that this practice is an “old budget trick being abused at a time when some agencies are still skeletal and struggling with hiring freezes.” He is requesting an answer before hearings for the next fiscal year 2026 budget negotiations start on March 5.
Misstep Highlights Practice
An example of this practice recently came to light when Jasmine Ray, the director of the Mayor’s Office of Sports, Recreation and Wellness, wrote a now-deleted post on Instagram stating that she supported President Donald Trump’s ban on transgender athletes, which runs counter to the city’s policies regarding youth sports. Her $161,000 annual salary is paid for by the city’s Department of Parks and Recreation.
More Examples of the Practice
Another instance of City Hall siphoning dollars away from agency budgets is the case of Timothy Pearson, a former top aide to Adams, who was paid through the Economic Development Corporation, a nonprofit organization that functions as a quasi-government agency, even though he did not work for the EDC. He was paid $242,600 a year but stepped down last fall after his home was raided by federal authorities.
Conclusion
The practice of using agency budget lines to fund jobs at City Hall is a concerning issue that needs to be addressed. It is crucial for the City Council’s finance chair to get to the bottom of this and ensure that agencies are not being taken advantage of. The public deserves transparency and accountability in how their tax dollars are being spent.
FAQs
* What is the purpose of the City Council’s finance chair’s inquiry?
The purpose is to determine how many salary lines are being used to fund jobs at City Hall and to ensure that agencies are not being taken advantage of.
* What is the significance of the example involving Jasmine Ray?
The example highlights how City Hall is using agency budget lines to fund jobs, and it also shows how this practice can have unintended consequences, such as contradicting the city’s policies regarding youth sports.
* What is the significance of the example involving Timothy Pearson?
The example shows how City Hall is using agency budget lines to fund jobs, and it also raises concerns about the lack of accountability and transparency in the way that City Hall is spending tax dollars.
