Skip to Content
Streetsblog New York City home
Log In
John Liu

Don’t Like John Liu’s No-Toll Proposal? He’s Asking for Budget Suggestions

3:51 PM EDT on May 13, 2013

Last month, mayoral candidate and Comptroller John Liu released a series of proposals to show what his office believes should be included in the city's final Fiscal Year 2014 budget. It included some bad ideas, such as exempting city residents from East River bridge tolls, and a few good ones, like dramatically increasing the size of NYPD's Collision Investigation Squad.

Now, Liu is asking for ideas as part of his "People's Budget" initiative. The top three winners will get mentioned by Liu in his budget testimony before the City Council on June 5.

"Streetsblog is a pretty thoughtful community," comptroller policy analyst Doug Giuliano said. While the focus is on big issues that are often ignored during budget season as the mayor and the council tussle over service cuts, Giuliano said the goal is to give citizens more access to the budget process generally. "We're happy to get everyone's input and ideas," he said.

The public is encouraged to solicit and vote up or down ideas at the comptroller's website, which launched last Tuesday and already has more than 100 suggestions. The comptroller's office has seeded the initiative with suggestions of its own, some of which come straight from last month's report:

Ideas suggested by the public include eliminating subway and bus fares for city residents and creating safe streets for walking and bicycling.

Liu's initiative takes a page from the participatory budgeting playbook, but unlike the process undertaken by a handful of council members, it will not directly result in implementation. Liu's proposal includes a proposal to expand participatory budgeting, which included a few livable streets proposals this year.

Voting closes on June 2. Liu's office does not have any specific plans for the budget suggestions other than a mention in the comptroller's testimony.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

We Have the ‘End of Days’ Flooding Pics You Need Right Now

It's bad out there. How bad? Here is a citywide roundup from our staff ... and our friends on social media.

September 29, 2023

Labor Gains: Judge Tosses App Giants’ Suit to Stop Deliverista Minimum Wage

Justice Nicholas Moyne cleared the way for a long-delayed wage hike for workers who brave dangerous roads to bring food directly to New Yorkers.

September 29, 2023

Fed Up Bronxites Tell Mayor To Forget About Bus Ride Invitation After Fordham Road ‘Betrayal’

"I really would think that our mayor would be a little bit more active and speak with us, because he hasn't really made any time with riders. We're not the enemy. We just want better bus service."

September 29, 2023

City Pays $150K to Settle Suit Over Cops Who Harassed Man Who Reported Police Parking Misconduct

Justin Sherwood and his lawyer will pocket $152,000 to settle his federal civil rights suit against the city and several officers who harassed him following his 311 calls.

September 28, 2023
See all posts