"When's the budget coming?"

The city budget and a council bill veto #47

Not the budget deal, but Fat Joe was at City Hall on Friday for a bill signing

It’s June 23, which means the new budget for fiscal year 2024 — July 1, 2021 until June 30 of next year — is due next Friday.

Will we see it in a week? Only time will tell!

I wrote an explainer on the budget for THE CITY this week, looking into the process and what happens if it is late. For a long time I was under the impression that if a budget is late the Financial Control Board immediately steps in, but that’s not really the case.

Experts I spoke with, though, said it’s the fear of a financial oversight board, rooted in the 1975 fiscal crisis, that usually keeps these things on schedule. Just like a reporter on deadline.

The next few days will be busy for the council and City Hall as the final budget details are hammered out. I keep asking people when they think the budget will come, but nobody seems to know. Insiders do say they don’t see how things could get worked out this quick especially after the mayor on Friday vetoed a package of housing bills passed by the council.

The mayor said the bills — which would make it easier for people to access rental vouchers — would cost the city too much money. Speaker Adrienne Adams called it a “futile political act” and said the council will override the veto.

What will the budget handshake look like this year? We shall see!

🌟 Other interesting reads 🌟

A really great interactive piece from my colleague Ben about queer wrestlers fighting in Red Hook [THE CITY]

DID YOU VOTE YET???? [a little guide from THE CITY]

My former colleague Tracey Tully, who now covers New Jersey for The New York Times, shared this story she wrote 26 years ago earlier this month following the news that the Unabomber died in prison.

She spoke with his brother David, who helped the FBI find him after seeing similarities to his brother’s writings in the Unabomber’s manifesto. It’s an incredible story that I encourage you to read thoroughly.

“My fondest hope would be that someday, somehow, Ted would find a way to forgive me.”

And this made me laugh ⬇️

Thanks for reading!