Just days after the events of September 11, 2001, President Bush and Congress promised that $20 billion in federal aid would be provided to help New York City
recover from the attack. Given the unprecedented scale of the destruction-physical, economic, and emotional-no one had real estimates of what the needs
and costs would be. As a result, the federal promise was loosely defined. Assistance was provided for immediate relief but a large portion of the aid was to flow to New York
over time as specific uses of the assistance were determined.
Web text supplement - Delays and disagreements over planning and financing the redevelopment of the World Trade Center site, as well as a weak market for
downtown office space, marked much of the first half decade following 9/11.
The release last week of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's preliminary budget for 2012 and financial plan through 2015 prompted renewed concerns
over the agency's fiscal outlook. Transportation budget analysts have been praticularly critical of the amount of borrowing in the plan and the assumption of no wage increases
for the authority's workforce.
IBO's comparison of enrollment data for this school year with last school year for kindergarten through eighth grade finds that average class sizes are already on the rise.
The Mayor's approach to balancing the city's budget in 2012 lies heavily on the expenditure side of the city's ledger and underscores a message of fiscal austerity.
This report lists the budget options the City faces after the recession. The recession caused the loss of a significant amount of state aid and federal cutbacks, as well as growing pension and health expenditures, debt service, and other costs. These problems must be rectified and the options listed are potential solutions.