Special Feature City Budget

New York City Spending Growth

$19 Billion from FY2014 to FY2019

August 22, 2019

The total New York City budget increased from $77 billion in fiscal year 2014 to $96 billion in fiscal year 2019—growth of $19 billion or an average of 4.5 percent a year.¹ Driving this growth are federal and state mandates and funding increases, inflationary growth in costs, collectively bargained wage increases for the municipal workforce, and increased spending on the priorities of the de Blasio Administration.  Spending by City agencies increased $15 billion, while centrally budgeted costs increased $4 billion. More than two-thirds of agency spending growth has been for education, health, and social services. 

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New York City Spending Growth: $19 Billion from FY2014 to FY2019

Follow the Money: Panel 1

By Adrian Pietrzak

Designed By Kevin Medina

Footnotes

  1. All values calculated from fiscal year 2014 actual expenditures as reported in the City’s Comprehensive Annual Financial Report and fiscal year 2019 expenditures projected at the time of the fiscal year 2020 adopted budget.  City spending figures exclude budgeted reserves and deposits to the Retiree Health Benefit Trust, and are adjusted for the impact of the surplus roll. Spending includes interfund agreements (IFA), intra-city spending, and does not adjust for prior-year payables. These three items increase fiscal year 2014 expenditures by $4.0 billion and increase fiscal year 2019 expenditures by $3.3 billion.  Adjusting for these items would bring fiscal year 2014 adjusted expenditures to $73 billion and fiscal year 2019 adjusted expenditures to $93 billion, for spending growth of $20 billion. May not add due to rounding.
  2. Fringe and other central expenses include Department of Education fringe benefits.
  3. Health and Social Services includes the Administration for Children’s Services, NYC Health and Hospitals Corporation, and the Departments of Social Services (Human Resources Administration), Homeless Services, Aging, Youth and Community Development, and Health and Mental Hygiene. Public Safety includes the Civilian Complaint and Review Board, Board of Corrections, District Attorneys, and the Departments of Police, Fire, Correction, and Probation. Housing, Transportation, and Infrastructure includes the Landmark Preservation Commission, NYC Taxi and Limousine Commission, Community Boards, and the Departments of City Planning, Housing Preservation and Development, Buildings, Transportation, and Design and Construction. Environment includes the Business Integrity Commission and the Departments of Environmental Protection, Sanitation, and Parks and Recreation. Arts, Culture, and Libraries includes Research Libraries, New York Public Library, Brooklyn Public Library, Queens Borough Public Library, and Department of Cultural Affairs. Elected Officials includes the Mayoralty, Borough Presidents, Public Advocate, City Comptroller, and City Council. Government Operations and Other includes all other agencies not listed above, excluding the Department of Education and City University of New York.
  4. Department of Education budget based on units of appropriation; all other agencies based on budget function analysis; functions or units of appropriation are combined as appropriate.
  5. Department of Education excludes fringe benefits.
  6. $1.3 billion total increase excludes Medicaid; social services increase net of Medicaid decrease of $585 million is $0.7 billion.