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Council Discourse

NYC Council meetings, chaptered and linked by time.

Created by Uzair Qadir

Inspired by Vikram Oberoi's City Meetings

Q&A

Chair Lee on budgeting for Fair Fares expansion overhead and Access NYC navigation

New York City Council · Jun 9, 2026 · starts 1:25:32 · 1 min 17 sec

Lee asks how the administration should assess budgetary needs for Fair Fares expansion given forecasting challenges. Chafee references a request for 35 additional headcount and $800,000 for Access NYC, and suggests using benefits calculators and technology to reduce paperwork assessment burdens.

Linda Lee

And then at the General Welfare Executive Budget Hearing, DSS Commissioner Dalton explained that estimating expansion costs was very complicated and that additional overhead funding may be needed depending on enrollment and utilization rates.

Linda Lee

So given how challenging it is to forecast the impact of various program expansions, how does IBO advise that the administration should assess the budgetary needs for expansion?

Louisa Chafee

You mean how much money should be put into Access NYC to assist in having Fair Fares participants navigate the system?

Louisa Chafee

I believe there was a request for 35 additional headcount to work Access NYC and $800,000 for...

Louisa Chafee

I'm looking at Sarita because she's meant to say yes or no.

Louisa Chafee

Memory serves, those may be the correct numbers.

Louisa Chafee

I think that we would be really happy to talk with you at longer length about

Louisa Chafee

how a benefits calculator can be used to utilize technology and assist people and have the important humans do more outreach and less assessment of paperwork.

Linda Lee

Yeah.

Linda Lee

Good answer.