New York City mayor and city council announce budget agreement

On Monday, June 22, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito announced a $78.5 billion budget deal to hire an additional 1,297 NYPD officers, while funding a variety of public safety and service initiatives. This year’s budget is up from $75 million a year ago. The mayor's proposal to create a city "mansion tax," which NYSAR opposed, was not mentioned in the budget deal. A final budget must be passed before July 1, which is the start of the city’s new fiscal year. The New York City Council details more information on the budget deal here.