Wednesday, May 27, 2026, 10 a.m. (New York City time), Council Chambers - City Hall
Committee: Committee on Finance
0:11 Where? Yeah. No.
0:11 Good morning. Good morning.
0:13 Welcome to the New York City
0:15 council executive budget
0:16 hearing on the committee on
0:17 finance joint with the
0:18 committee on civil and human
0:19 rights and the committee on
0:20 parks and recreation at this
0:23 time, please. Sounds
0:24 electronics and do not
0:25 approach the dais. Any
0:26 questions or concerns, please
0:27 reach a sergeant at arms.
0:29 Thank you for your cooperation
0:29 chairs you begin. Okay
0:41 , good morning, everyone and
0:44 welcome to day two of the
0:46 fiscal 27 executive budget
0:48 hearings on Council Member
0:50 Linda Lee, today's hearings
0:51 will begin with New York City
0:52 commission on human rights,
0:53 followed by department of
0:54 I'm pleased to be joined by my
0:57 colleague, Council Member
0:59 Sandy Nurse, committee on
1:00 civil and human rights, um,
1:03 and we've been joined today by
1:05 our colleagues, depyut speaker
1:07 Williams council marty council
1:10 wang councilmember Hudson and
1:11 Council Member j. Sanchez. And
1:14 I'm not missing anyone? No, I
1:15 think that's.
1:15 It. Um so welcome.
1:19 Commissioner christine clark
1:19 and your team and thank you
1:21 all for joining us today t
1:22 oanswer our questions on May 1
1:26 22026, the administration
1:27 really lewd 27, right, the
1:28 imminent no no. 26. Sorry, I'm
1:29 so confused with what you're
1:31 but I'm sorry, it's.
1:32 Only day two. Okay, um, the
1:36 administration released the
1:37 executive financial plan for
1:39 fiscal 2026 2 20 30 with a
1:42 proposed fiscal 27 budget of
1:46 $124.7 billion.
1:47 The New York City commission
1:47 on human rights proposed
1:48 fiscal 27 budget of represents
1:52 represents a point 0 1% of the
1:55 administration's proposed
1:56 fiscal 27 budget in the
2:00 executive plan. This is a
2:00 decrease of 900000 or 6% from
2:02 the originally budgeted in the
2:05 f 27 preliminary plan. This
2:08 decrease is a result of the
2:10 administration's vacancy
2:10 reductions, which decreased
2:13 budgeted head by nine as well
2:15 as unrestored ot funding as of
2:19 April 2026 hrs actual head
2:20 account was 29 less than their
2:22 fiscal 26 budgeted account in
2:24 the counsel's preliminary
2:25 budget response we called on
2:27 the Mayor to restore and
2:30 baseline, $410000 for general
2:33 operating support this funding
2:34 is essential to ensure that
2:35 the commission can adequately
2:36 reached New yorkers to inform
2:37 them of their rights,
2:41 responsibilities and reporting
2:41 options available to them. We
2:44 were disappointed to see that
2:45 our request was not included
2:46 in the plan and a time when
2:47 many New yorkers feel
2:49 uncertain about the state of
2:50 their civil rights protections
2:51 it is more important than eve
2:53 r. That's sisi. Hr is
2:57 meaningfully supported a
2:57 reduction in the commission's
2:58 headcount raises concerns New
3:01 yorkers would benefit greatly
3:02 from quicker case processing
3:04 and maintaining and growing
3:06 staff capacity is key t
3:07 omaking that possible? We look
3:09 forward to hearing from the
3:10 commission today about the
3:11 impact of these budget
3:12 reductions on its operations
3:13 an howd it can work together
3:15 to better support the
3:16 commission's important work,
3:19 and I would now like to turn
3:19 over to my co chair for this
3:21 hearing council Nurse for her
3:27 opening statement. Oh, good
3:30 morning and tha younk. My name
3:33 is Sandy Nurse, I'm the chair
3:35 of this committee cc hr the
3:37 New York City human rights law
3:39 by bringing forward cases of
3:41 discrimination as well as
3:42 educating New yorkers about
3:43 their rights and obligations
3:47 this executive plan includes
3:48 detrimental cuts to the
3:51 commission's budget. And while
3:51 the administration is
3:52 instituting budget cuts across
3:55 agencies. The commission faces
3:56 one of the highest 10.8% in
3:59 fiscal 26 and 6% in fiscal 27
4:03 as charitably, said cc hrs
4:05 head count is down, which is
4:07 extremely worrying given the
4:10 commission's charter mandated
4:11 responsibilities. The
4:12 commission also faces a high
4:13 vacancy rate of 22% and at a
4:16 time when there are no federal
4:18 avenues for New yorkers
4:20 fighting human rights
4:21 violations. It is essential
4:23 that the administration
4:25 restores and expands cc hrs
4:29 head count. I'm eager to hear
4:29 how the odd man believes we
4:31 can carry out all the work
4:32 required here with less.
4:36 Resources. Additionally, as
4:37 charlie highlighted the
4:38 executive budget did not
4:40 include the restoration of
4:43 410000 in fiscal 27 for
4:44 general operating support,
4:46 which is extremely small
4:47 amount given the size of the
4:48 entire budget of this City.
4:51 This funding is essential for
4:52 the commission's outreach and
4:53 ability to educate New yorkers
4:54 on their rights and
4:56 responsibilities and I'm
4:57 frankly a little concerned and
4:59 disappointed that the Mayor
5:00 will not uphold his campaign
5:02 promise to expand the
5:05 commission's budget. In
5:06 addition to these issues, we
5:06 will discuss the commission's
5:08 preliminary racial equity pla
5:08 n, which was published as part
5:10 of the City wide preliminary
5:12 racial equity plan in the
5:14 racial equity plan is meant to
5:16 inform the city's budget, and
5:17 I think we can all agree that
5:19 there is a lot of concern to
5:20 see many of budget changes go
5:22 against these established
5:26 goals, so I would like to
5:27 thank the finance staff
5:27 committee staff, of course,
5:28 the chair and my own staff and
5:29 preparation for this hearing.
5:30 I'm looking forward to the
5:31 conversation. Thank you,
5:35 sherif
5:35 . Thank you. Before you
5:36 started, like to take a quick
5:37 moment to think the entire
5:39 council finance division staff
5:40 for their efforts praying for
5:42 these hearings, especially ali
5:43 stole four florentine cab and
5:45 caitlin know hagen fro
5:46 mcouncil finance for preparing
5:48 today's hearing committee
5:49 counsel brian store food. My
5:52 senior adviser is a and all
5:53 the finance analysts and
5:54 support staff who make it all
5:55 work and as a reminder for
5:57 this year's budget joint
5:58 hearings, we will take public
6:00 testimony on all agencies.
6:01 Executive budget onedne wsday,
6:05 June 10 beginning at 9 30 a. M
6:07 um so I will now turn it over
6:08 to committee counsel to swear
6:10 in the witnesses for their
6:13 testimony.
6:13 Good morning. Do you affirm
6:15 to tell the truth, the whole
6:16 truth and nothing but the
6:17 truth before this committee
6:18 and to respond honestly to
6:20 Council Member questions.
6:23 Commissioner clark. I do and
6:26 oh, chief of staff rios.
6:27 Louisa. I do, you begin.
6:33 Hello. Good morning and thank
6:34 you all my name is christine
6:36 clark, the chair and
6:36 commissioner of the New York
6:38 City commission on human
6:39 rights. Thank you to the
6:40 chairs and the committees for
6:41 holding this hearing on our
6:45 annual budget since joining
6:45 the commission on human rights
6:46 as part of the madonna
6:48 administration. I've worked
6:49 hard, supported by my talented
6:51 and hardworking team
6:52 ,including the person I forgot
6:53 to introduce our achieve of
6:54 staff from commissioner for
6:56 external affairs jose rios
6:58 blew up, supported by the
6:59 talented and hardworking tea
7:01 mi was lucky enough to inherit
7:02 .I've worked hard to show up
7:03 for New yorkers every single
7:04 day and to make real the hopes
7:05 and dreams of the civil rights
7:09 movements, ensuring that all
7:09 the rights and privileges that
7:10 come with being a resident of
7:11 this great City are shared
7:12 equally among all while the
7:15 department of transportation
7:16 fills potholes we make sure
7:17 that New yorkers who used
7:18 wheelchairs and service dogs
7:19 are able to utilize the buses
7:21 that drive over those now
7:24 patched potholes while
7:25 provides housing vouchers for
7:26 people we work to ensure that
7:27 landlords do not turn those
7:28 people away so that the
7:29 promise of those bachelors are
7:32 fully realized and stable,
7:35 affordable tendencies while
7:35 fights to create affordable
7:36 housing in the City we fight
7:37 to make sure that people can
7:39 keep the jobs they need to pay
7:40 for that housing and that
7:41 families can actually access
7:43 that housing, regardless of
7:44 their race religion, national
7:46 origin disability, pregnancy
7:49 and more under the leadership
7:50 of Mayor mamdani. We are
7:50 working hand in hand with
7:52 other agencies and community
7:52 partners to make this City
7:54 more affordable, more
7:55 began earlier this year, the
8:02 commission on human rights has
8:02 obtained over a million
8:03 dollars in restitution for
8:04 victims of discrimination,
8:05 almost all of whom are
8:07 struggling to make ends meet
8:07 in this City and to put food
8:09 on the table every night
8:10 .we've also obtained over
8:12 $200000 in civil penalties
8:13 just since we've obtained
8:16 almost $350000 in damages for
8:19 victims of disability
8:20 discrimination in housing
8:21 while in that their landlords
8:23 actually build the accessible
8:25 ramps and rails that they need
8:26 to keep to stay in their homes
8:30 . We've obtained over $600000
8:30 in damages for victims of
8:32 employment discrimination from
8:33 race discrimination t
8:35 opregnancy discrimination t
8:35 osexual harassment and more.
8:38 We've also reached a
8:39 settlement with the that
8:40 applies to every single public
8:41 bus in the City to ensure that
8:43 people of service animals are
8:44 able to ride the bus without
8:44 fear of harassment or
8:49 intimidation since I began
8:49 earlier this year. We've also
8:50 secured a long term affordable
8:52 tendencies for 31 households
8:54 who experienced discrimination
8:55 by landlords because of their
8:58 housing vouchers, given that
8:58 the cost of housing adrienne
8:59 family shelter for one year in
9:00 the City costs on $95000 a
9:04 year by keeping these 31
9:04 family's house and out of
9:05 shelter we've saved the City
9:06 nearly $3 million in averted
9:10 shelter costs. We have secured
9:11 another 70 set aside
9:12 departments just this year
9:13 that landlords have agreed as
9:14 part of settling a
9:15 nenforcement action with the
9:16 commission to hold exclusively
9:18 for mental by voucher holders,
9:19 each of those apartments and
9:21 set asides, expands and
9:22 preserves the stock o
9:23 faffordable housing in the City
9:24 for the entire life of that
9:28 tendency another, almost 100
9:29 0apartments are currently
9:29 either occupied by voucher
9:31 holders or being held
9:32 exclusively for such renters
9:33 as part of prior settlements
9:34 with the commission again had
9:38 those families ended up in
9:38 shelter as happens too far too
9:39 many housing voucher holders
9:40 every year due to unlawful
9:42 discrimination, the City would
9:43 be paying over a hundred
9:44 million dollars a year in
9:47 shelter costs the commission's
9:48 enforcement actions have saved
9:49 the City of those, while most
9:50 importantly, ensuring stable
9:51 long term affordable housing
9:53 for families in need since
9:56 starting at the commission
9:57 .we've also begun
9:58 systematically overhauling
10:00 this agency's approach to
10:01 handling complaints.
10:01 From soup to nuts. We
10:03 restructured the agency t
10:05 omove every available resource
10:06 into intake enforcement
10:09 training, making sure that w
10:09 ededicate as many resources as
10:10 we can to enforce complaints
10:12 obtaining justice for New
10:13 yorkers and preventing future
10:16 unlawful acts. In so doing we
10:17 are streamlining our and
10:18 taking enforcement process t
10:19 oensure that as many complaints
10:20 are resolved as quickly as
10:22 possible and ensuring that our
10:23 processes remain accessible t
10:24 oall people, no matter wtha
10:26 language they speak over
10:26 resources they have. We are
10:29 investing in our intake team
10:30 moving more resources than
10:31 into that department and
10:32 frontloading much of our
10:34 investigatory work there, too
10:34 ensure that we're able to mov
10:36 efaster and get people the
10:37 answers they are seeking from
10:38 us more quickly. Similarly, we
10:41 continue to invest in our
10:42 spectacularly successful pre
10:44 complete interventions team,
10:45 which focuses on resolving a
10:46 source of income
10:47 discrimination, disability
10:48 access discrimination and
10:49 other forms of discriminatio
10:51 nbefore litigation has started.
10:54 These are some of our most
10:54 successful
10:55 . Programs where we resolve
10:56 someone's situation entirely
10:57 ,including getting voucher
10:59 holders fully leased up on
11:00 average within three and a
11:01 half weeks after they first
11:02 reached out to us. We're also
11:05 looking for other ways t
11:05 ospeed up our case
11:07 investigation processes and
11:07 ensure that we're able to
11:09 bring compassionate, cultural,
11:10 competent and community our
11:12 industry specific expertise
11:13 into our investigations
11:14 process as a result, we've
11:15 moved some of our community
11:17 relations experts into our
11:18 enforcement division as not
11:19 attorney case specialists
11:22 .this allows people with
11:22 specialized talent and
11:23 speaking to the public to lean
11:24 into those talents in case
11:26 investigations and
11:27 . Allows our attorneys to lea
11:28 ninto their expertise,
11:29 litigation and trials. Overall
11:32 , this allows us to move cases
11:32 better communicate more
11:33 frequently and more
11:34 excessively to complainants
11:35 and allows us to better meet
11:36 people where they are and
11:37 provide them with timely
11:38 answers they're looking for
11:41 .we've also finally been able
11:41 to fully staff up our impact
11:43 litigation team known as our
11:46 commissioner initiated
11:46 complaints team allowing fro
11:47 mour targeted strategic
11:50 enforcement. We're also
11:50 growing our mediations program
11:52 and are in the process of
11:52 hiring a New director of
11:53 mediations who will lead the
11:55 work of expanding and
11:56 rethinking our mediation
11:57 program to allow more people
11:59 to receive just resolutions
12:02 more quickly. Finally, we are
12:02 investing in providing more
12:03 targeted an accessible
12:04 trainings with a specialized
12:05 trained team as well as
12:07 creating deeper partnerships
12:08 of trust with movement and
12:09 community based organizations