Neighbors rally for NYC Parks during budget negotiations
NEW YORK (PIX11) -- Open space and parkland are valuable for many reasons in New York City.
The New York City Department of Parks and Recreation budget has become a bigger part of this year's budget discussions. The total city budget is about $109 billion.
Part of the department's budget has become the source of some back and forth with Mayor Eric Adams' administration, the New York City Council and park advocates.
Groups and neighbors are worried about a $55 million reduction in the proposed department's budget.
New York City Council member Shekar Krishnan is the City Council’s parks chairperson.
"Everyone deserves access to quality green space. We will see parks that are dirty, uncleaned bathrooms, trees overgrown and the loss of jobs in the parks department," Krishnan said.
Krishnan wants to see a bigger commitment to parks funding.
The Adams administration has restored some funding for libraries and other programs. His office said that includes the Parks Opportunity Program, which hires low-income New Yorkers to help maintain parks.
"Thanks to effective, responsible fiscal management over this budget cycle, including strong savings programs and better-than-expected revenue, we were able to restore funding for programs in the Preliminary and Executive Budgets that will make New York City cleaner, safer, and more livable, while ensuring our young people have opportunities to learn and succeed. Our parks are safer and better maintained than they were this time last year," a spokesperson for the mayor wrote in a statement to PIX11 News.
Rallies have been planned to bring attention to the park's budget. New Yorkers for Parks has held events.
"If you’re cutting that workforce, parks won’t be a clean and safe place for people to go, which is the last thing we need right now in the city," said Adam Ganser with New Yorkers For Parks.
The mayor and City Council will negotiate the budget into June. A new budget must be in place by July 1.