Here’s how the city budget impacts Astoria

Costa_City_CouncilYou’ve probably heard by now that the City Council passed the budget for Fiscal Year 18, the earliest they’ve achieved this in 25 years.

But how does the budget, your tax dollars, come back to the neighborhood?

Councilman Costa Constantinides laid out the following projects, initiatives and programs that is included in the budget.

  • Environmental Sustainability
    • Constantinides and Borough President Melinda Katz allocated a total of $1.1 million for solar panels at PS 122,
    • Designated $300,000 with Assemblywoman Aravella Simotas for installing solar panels at Queens Library’s Steinway branch (this was part of participatory budgeting),
    • The City Council expanded Greener NYC to $3 million
  • Health Care
    • Constantinides secured $1.8 million for a new acute stroke center at Mount Sinai Queens.
  • Youth
    • Allocated $160,000 each at PS 84 and IS 126 for hydroponic science labs,
    • Iinvested $900,000 for tech upgrades at all district schools.
  • Hallets Peninsula
    • Constantinides and Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito funded $3 million in improvements to Hallets Cove Playground,
    • Constantinides and Katz also dished out $2 million to upgrade Whitey Ford Field.
    • Designated $1 million for upgraded lighting at Astoria Houses parking lot and new closed-circuit TV cameras inside stairwells,
    • Invested more funding (totaling $600,000) for Astoria Houses basketball court.
  • Libraries
    • Secured $3 million to transform the Queens Library’s Astoria branch, including making the building ADA accessible, improving the children’s room and other upgrades.
  • Sanitation
    • The City Council expanded its NYC Cleanup initiative by $2.4 million,
    • Allocated $250,000 for sidewalk cleaning and graffiti removal from the initiative.

“We are proud to invest in our children, our public spaces and our community’s health,” Constantinides said. “This budget will make our neighborhood more sustainable, improve healthcare, give students the resources they need in our public schools and libraries and bring much-needed funding to Hallets Peninsula.

 

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