Committee on Finance meeting
May 28, 2026, 10:00 AM
Jointly with the Committee on Children and Youth and the Committee on Immigration*.
The Committee on Finance held FY2027 executive budget hearings on the Administration for Children's Services and the Department of Youth and Community Development (jointly with the Committee on Children and Youth) and on the Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs (jointly with the Committee on Immigration). The committee took testimony and recorded no votes.
What was discussed
- Opening and swearing in the ACS panel The Sergeant-at-Arms gaveled in day three of the FY2027 executive budget hearings — the Committee on Finance jointly with the Committee on Children and Youth — and Committee Counsel swore in Administration for Children's Services Commissioner Rebecca Jones Gaston and her deputies for the morning's
- Opening statements from Chair Lee and Chair Stevens Finance Chair Linda Lee and Children and Youth Chair Althea Stevens framed the ACS executive budget, noting $55.7 million in new needs added for FY2026 growing to $104.6 million in FY2027 for childcare vouchers, detention facilities, and staffing, and flagging concerns about cuts to preventive
- Commissioner Jones Gaston's testimony on the ACS FY2027 executive budget Rebecca Jones Gaston, newly serving as Commissioner of the Administration for Children's Services, introduced her leadership team and testified on the agency's executive budget for child welfare, juvenile justice, childcare, and prevention services under the Mamdani administration.
- Where did ACS find its Executive Order 12 savings? Chair Linda Lee asked how ACS met its mandated savings target. Deputy Commissioner Margaret Pletnikoff said more than half came from maximizing revenue — additional fringe and miscellaneous revenues — rather than program cuts, and later corrected the revenue impact figure to $14.91 million.
- How quickly does ACS pay its human-services providers? Chair Linda Lee pressed on contract and invoice timelines. Deputy Commissioner Margaret Pletnikoff said ACS averages 7.7 days to process Health and Human Services invoices — well below the citywide average of 17 — and Deputy Commissioner Stephanie Glendell said nearly 100 percent of contracts are
- Will the state reimburse the city for Raise the Age? Chair Linda Lee urged ACS to seek a state hardship waiver and account for Raise the Age spending. Deputy Commissioner Stephanie Glendell said the agency continues to press for the state funding the city is owed, and Deputy Commissioner Margaret Pletnikoff estimated ACS has spent about $549 million
- Why is ACS cutting four family-support prevention programs? Chair Althea Stevens pressed hard on the elimination of preventive-service contracts. Deputy Commissioner Luisa Linares called it a difficult, fiscally driven decision affecting four programs with roughly even cuts, said catchment and capacity analysis guided which sites closed, and pledged to
- Is the Fair Futures foster-youth program still growing? Chair Althea Stevens asked about Fair Futures targets. Deputy Commissioner Ina Mendez said the budget action slows but does not stop growth, with enrollment targets of about 4,800 in FY27, 5,000 in FY28, and 5,400 in FY29 — the same end point previously planned.
- Is ACS reducing juvenile detention capacity, and are conditions adequate? Council Member Phil Wong raised the two secure detention centers and a State Comptroller DiNapoli report. Deputy Commissioner Stephanie Glendell clarified the change reduces a small non-secure Close to Home detention rather than building a new facility, Deputy Commissioner Nancy Ginsburg reported
- What is being done for the childcare voucher waitlist? Council Members Lincoln Restler, Chi Ossé, and Jennifer Gutiérrez pressed on tens of thousands of children waiting for childcare. Deputy Commissioner Elizabeth Wolkomir said the agency is waiting on the final state budget — which she said includes a substantial funding increase allowing the current
- Can ACS meet its racial equity goals within the budget? Deputy Speaker Nantasha Williams asked about the preliminary racial equity plan's juvenile-justice diversion goals. Deputy Commissioner Stephanie Glendell described short- and medium-term goals — school-based early prevention, staff training, and a psychologically safe work environment — and said
- Are Crossroads conditions and services adequate for youth? Council Members Darlene Mealy and Gale A. Brewer raised facility conditions, staffing, and youth well-being at the detention centers. Deputy Commissioner Nancy Ginsburg described added classroom and programming space for an expanded population, and Deputy Commissioner Ina Mendez detailed
- How many Child Protective Specialist positions are vacant? Chair Althea Stevens asked about protective-services staffing. Deputy Commissioner Stephanie Glendell said 108 of 1,855 budgeted Child Protective Specialist positions are vacant (191 vacancies across the Division of Child Protection overall), and Deputy Commissioner Luisa Linares described the
- How is ACS getting foster youth to school and into college supports? Council Member Rita C. Joseph asked about transportation and academic supports for students in foster care. Deputy Commissioner Ina Mendez described a revised reimbursement plan with New York City Public Schools and the foster-care office, coordination through the Children's Center, and college
- Swearing in the DYCD panel Committee Counsel swore in Department of Youth and Community Development Commissioner Sandra Escamilla-Davies, Chief Financial Officer Nevita Bailey, Chief Accountability Officer Cantelini, and the rest of the DYCD witnesses for the afternoon's second hearing.
- Commissioner Escamilla-Davies's testimony on the DYCD FY2027 executive budget Sandra Escamilla-Davies, Commissioner of the Department of Youth and Community Development, testified on the agency's executive budget covering after-school (COMPASS), Summer Rising, youth employment, and community programs, noting she is conducting an organizational assessment.
- What is behind DYCD's vacancy reductions and adult-literacy cut? Chair Linda Lee asked about vacancy reductions and a budget cut. Chief Financial Officer Nevita Bailey attributed the reduction largely to one-time adult-literacy restoration funding the Council typically provides, and said locations for reductions have not yet been identified.
- Will the new COMPASS contracts register in time for the fall? Chair Linda Lee asked whether COMPASS after-school contracts will be registered before the school year. Chief Accountability Officer Cantelini and Chief Financial Officer Nevita Bailey said a dedicated team is working with providers, with about 50 percent of contracts already in the registration
- What happens to providers who lost their COMPASS awards? Chair Althea Stevens, Council Members Virginia Maloney, Harvey Epstein, and Lincoln Restler pressed repeatedly on non-awarded after-school providers. Commissioner Sandra Escamilla-Davies acknowledged the financial and operational impact on non-awardees, said the agency extended the appeal period by
- Is Summer Rising funded, and how are special-needs students served? Chair Althea Stevens and Council Member Rita C. Joseph asked about Summer Rising. Commissioner Sandra Escamilla-Davies said the FY27 Summer Rising budget is $151 million and that the funding was restored, and Associate Commissioner Guillen said the program received over 150,000 applications and is
Agenda
1 item
- T2026-1886 NEW YORK CITY COUNCIL FISCAL YEAR 2027 EXECUTIVE BUDGET HEARINGS *10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Administration for Children's Services *12:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. Department of Youth and Community Development **2:00 p.m. Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs *Jointly with the Committee on Children and Youth Hearing Held by Committee