Council Members celebrate adoption of 'Trump Proof' budget

There was a big celebration after the New York City Council passed its $115.9 billion Fiscal Year 2025-2026 budget on June 30th, making it what Mayor Eric Adams called the “best budget ever”.

The budget mainly focused on early childhood education –  especially when it came to 2-K and 3-K programs – libraries and cultural institutions; immigration legal services and services for older adults.

Council members proudly spoke about the budget’s passing, with Speaker Adrienne Adams saying it will take “critical steps forward to invest in the needs of New Yorkers and our city’s neighborhoods”. Council Member Justin Brannan, chair of the Committee on Finance, added the budget was “Trump-proof,” referring to the budget cuts President Donald Trump sought with his “Big Beautiful Bill”

“Building a city that actually works for working people can only happen when false austerity and budget brinkmanship are cast aside,” said Brannan. “Today the City Council is proving you can Trump-proof a budget while still doubling down on what matters most. We are proud to pass a balanced, on-time budget that sets aside $8.5 billion in reserves and while still investing in what New Yorkers need at this critical time.”

While many in the city applauded the budget, there were some who were disappointed in it. This was particularly so for the nonprofit organizations that provide food items for food banks and pantries across the city. 

On June 18th, multiple organizations, including City Harvest, Food Bank For New York City, and United Way of New York City, held a rally at City Hall, calling for $100 million to be budgeted for the Community Food Connection Program. Increasing food security, the end of COVID-era support, and cuts to the FEMA Emergency Food and Shelter program were among the reasons these organizations called for the sum.

Instead, only half of that amount was given to the Community Food Connection Program.

“It was very unfortunate,” said Leslie Gordon, CEO of Food Bank For NYC. “It’s imperative for the city to meet the need. These are real people’s lives. They have no breakfast, no lunch, not sure if there will be lunch. They’re tired and hangry. It’s hard to function. It’s like building a house with no foundation.”

Abdullah Younusis, vice president of Advocacy and Government Relations for United Way of New York City said that while he was pleased child care was a big focus of the budget, he also was disappointed. “We were really fighting for $100 million to be invested,” he said. “We know what the needs are, we know what New Yorkers are going to need and are increasingly feeling right now.”

One critic of the budget was Andrew Rein, the president of Citizens Budget Commission, who sees the budget as spending all now while there is time, instead of putting more funds aside for the coming years that will be harder, especially when the Big Beautiful Bill’s cuts take place.

“No way can this budget Trump-proof the city,” Rein said. “There will be challenges in the long run that will create huge budget holes, especially with federal cuts. [Budget] choices will then get much tougher. You can’t do everything.”

The Big Beautiful Bill passed on July 3rd and now adds to the pressure of feeding New Yorkers. According to the Fiscal Policy Institute, SNAP benefits will be cut nationwide by an estimated $35 billion over the next decade. State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli even said the federal bill would worsen food insecurity throughout the state. 

Gordon said Food Bank for NYC needs $4 million a month to fund the 700 food pantries it provides. But that amount is expected to rise. Going forward, she said, the nonprofit will continue to work and partner with the city and even the private sector.

“Nothing changes for us,” Gordon said. “We’re in it to win it. We’re made for this. We went through [Superstorm] Sandy and COVID.”

Younus agreed that difficult times in the past meant that United Way is strong enough to face the coming challenges ahead. 

“We’ve been in perpetual crisis over the last decade,” he said. “There’s always another fight. I believe we’ll get through this.”

Even so, the looming food security crisis is presenting a daunting time for the two food bank providers, and likely other nonprofits.

“Of course, we want universal child care,” Younous said. “The best schooling possible, healthcare should be accessible to everyone, and all of these things need to happen. But they are almost abstract to a hungry stomach, how it’s been abandoned. To me, food is, in many ways, the fundamental promise of government.”