Speaker Menin on DCWP importance and enforcement concerns
Menin emphasizes her deep appreciation for DCWP from her time as commissioner and chair, warns that insufficient funding could hamper enforcement, and announces the Council is requesting an additional $32M for DCWP.
Thank you so much, Chair Lee, and I really want to thank our finance chair for her great work in holding these hearings.
And I want to thank our Consumer and Worker Protection Chair, Councilmember Harvey Epstein, for his terrific work on chairing this committee.
And I want to thank you, Commissioner, and your team for being here, and to all the advocates that have taken time to participate in this budget process.
So this hearing in particular.
is very meaningful to me as I had the honor of serving as commissioner of this agency and as chair of this committee.
And I've garnered a very deep appreciation over the very many years for the dedicated public servants who carry out this work each and every day.
But those experiences also reinforce the importance of rigorous oversight and responsible fiscal management.
Our responsibility today is to ensure that the fiscal year 2027 budget adequately equips the agency to meet its mission while delivering transparency, efficiency, and measurable outcomes for New Yorkers.
The mayor pledged to double DCWP's budget during his campaign, recognizing that the agency needs greater funding to be successful.
However, in the executive budget, the mayor pledged an additional $3.7 million to DCWP, bringing the agency's total 2027 funding to $78.4 million under his proposal.
We in the Council have consistently warned that insufficient funding could hamper DCWP's ability to investigate complaints and enforce local laws.
To ensure that the agency has the staffing and operational capacity needed to carry out responsibilities assigned through local laws, the Council is asking for an additional $32 million for DCWP.
I understand certainly that behind every single line in the budget, there is a real impact.
on our communities.
As we review it, the Council will closely examine whether the proposed investments are sufficient to meet current and future needs, whether resources are being allocated equitably, and whether the agency has the staffing,
infrastructure, and operational support necessary to succeed.