Lawmakers want de Blasio to drop $100M for NYC parks
By Rich Calder
February 27, 2019
They want to see more green.
Legislators, union leaders and parks advocates are joining forces to demand Mayor Bill de Blasio and his successors add more money toward improving open spaces.
The multiyear campaign, called “Play Fair,” will kick off Thursday with a noon City Hall rally.
It calls on Hizzoner to add $100 million to help make the Big Apple’s 30,000 acres of parkland cleaner and safer, organizers said.
“In a city that champions equity, we have to start treating our parks, gardens and open space as critical city infrastructure…” said Lynn Kelly, executive director of New Yorkers for Parks.
Kelly’s group is teaming up with Queens Councilman Barry Grodenchik, park workers’ union District Council 37 and more than 40 other groups.
Grodenchick, who chairs the Parks Committee, convinced more than half the Council to sign a letter to de Blasio pleading for the extra funding.
Parks cover 14 percent of the city’s land — yet the agency receives a mere 0.59 percent of the city budget, or $534 million.
Reps for de Blasio did not immediately return messages.