Lawmakers in Albany are poised to pass a $237 billion state budget Saturday, including an extension of Mayor Eric Adams’ oversight of New York City schools.
The state spending plan, the largest in New York’s history, includes a massive housing package, improved pension benefits, crackdowns on illicit pot shops and retail theft and a deal to extend mayoral control of schools for two years.
The extension comes with some caveats for Adams.
Hizzoner will have to prove any additional state funds for education go to city schools — and aren’t used to plug budgetary holes elsewhere.
“For the next two years, New Yorkers can expect mayoral accountability to include a funded and actionable plan to reduce class sizes,” state Sen. John Liu (D-Queens), the upper chamber’s head on New York City schools said in a statement.
“This two year extension grants the mayor the accountability he’s been asking for, and we are pleased to note our agreement includes a significant commitment to expanding the NYC capital plan by $2 billion in order to provide our school kids a sound, basic education and reduce class sizes.”
The United Federation of Teachers, the powerful union representing many Big Apple educators, pushed the accountability piece in a bid to force the city to comply with a state law mandating class sizes.
The deal also adds a new 24th member of the Panel for Education Policy who will act as chair of the body.
The mayor will have to pick the chair from three candidates– one selected by the state Assembly, one by the state Senate and one by the state schools chancellor.
Lawmakers hope having a member with more independence on the PEP would give the panel more bite.
“Principles of good governance dictate that control of NYC schools not be based on the actions of any one particular mayor,” Liu added.
“The Governor and the Mayor deserve immense credit for brokering a deal that extends the best governance structure for New York City’s public school students. Mayoral accountability gives parents a voice — all while delivering better results than any alternative,” Crystal McQueen-Taylor, Executive Director of StudentsFirstNY, said in a statement.
Most lawmakers, including allies of Adams, thought mayoral control had no chance of passing in the budget.
Hochul revived the measure a little over a week ago, just before announcing a preliminary handshake agreement.
Liu was critical of what he called an “eleventh hour” effort by Hochul to shove the mayoral control measure into the budget.
The budget also includes tweaks to how benefits under the Tier 6 pension system for public employees are calculated.
Pensioners will now get benefits based on the average of the last three years of service, instead of the last five.
Critics have blasted the change, arguing it will cost taxpayers $4 billion over the next few decades, with a cost to New York City of over $160 million next year.
“The public employee unions have said their ultimate goal is to make taxpayers pay for their members to retire with full pensions at age 55 and to limit or end employee retirement contributions, which would cost New York over $100 billion. Taxpayers should be deeply alarmed that their elected officials have taken the first step to surrendering to these demands.” Ken Girardin, Research Director at the Empire Center for Public Policy wrote in a statement.
Gov. Kathy Hochul is expected to sign the budget this weekend.
