Source: Gilbert Carrasquillo / Getty
Mayor Kenney’s team had a strong message for City Council on Thursday: Its budget plan isn’t going to work.
In a briefing with reporters, Kenney’s top finance aides said the funding package for the city’s schools that lawmakers put together this week falls $240 million short of what is needed for the next five fiscal years.
“We’re grateful that Council provided substantial funding for the district,” said Rob Dubow, Kenney’s finance director. “Unfortunately, we don’t think it’s enough.”
The admonishment of Council’s budget raises anew the questions of whether residents will be on the hook for more taxes — or if the School District will get less money. It also marks one of the only times that lawmakers and Kenney, who have long enjoyed a good relationship, have come to blows in public.
Whether the sides come to an agreement won’t be clear until next week’s meeting, when Council will have its last scheduled opportunity to put the finishing touches on a budget it needs to pass this month.
