Mayor Adams' budget plan restores NYPD funding, but won't reverse $58M cut to NYC libraries

The systems would also have to delay openings of new library branches and curtail various programming, including everything from free U.S. citizenship and English language classes for immigrants to young adult literacy courses and career development programs for school-age kids, the leaders warned in their March testimony.

“The impacts will be both devastating and unprecedented,” New York Public Library President Anthony Marx, whose system is the city’s largest, serving Manhattan, the Bronx and Staten Island, testified at the time.

The executive budget will reverse cuts for some other agencies, including the NYPD.

In a private briefing on the budget with City Council members Wednesday morning, Adams reiterated he’s reinstating two previously cancelled Police Academy classes in order to bring on 1,200 new NYPD officers early next year. In the briefing, he revealed academy class reinstatements will cost the city $62.4 million, according to a recording of the call obtained by The News.

Asked in the briefing why he isn’t calling off more cuts to the libraries, too, Adams argued they could bridge some of their funding gaps with endowments they raise from private donors.

“I think it’s unfortunate, to be really transparent and honest, that some of these libraries are sitting on almost $1 billion in endowments,” he told Council members on the call. “I just really believe that our library boards, they could have done more.”

Library leaders have previously argued their endowments can’t be used for such purposes as they’re earmarked for research library costs.

Last week, Adams also announced his executive budget will restore $514 million in funding previously cut for education programs in the city, including the popular free 3-K program. Some education advocates say that restoration isn’t enough to ensure that all children in the city can access 3-K.

The release of the mayor’s executive proposal kicks off the last sprint of the city’s budget season before he and the Council must adopt a final budget for the 2025 fiscal year by July 1.

In its budget response released earlier this month, the Council said it had identified $6.1 billion in unrealized tax revenue and funding as compared to the mayor’s preliminary plan.

Council Democrats led by Speaker Adrienne Adams have argued that additional cash infusion can be used to reverse the entire $58.3 million funding decrease for the library systems and avoid various other cuts to education and social services sought by the mayor. It was not immediately clear how much more tax revenue Adams’ executive budget will roll in.