Gotham Gazette

The Place for New York Policy and politics

Chi Ossé

Chi Ossé

  • Boosting Arts and Access, City’s ‘Open Culture’ Program Set to Become Permanent by Law

    May 25 rally for Open Culture (photo: Edward Amador/Office of Council Member Carlina Rivera) 


    Under legislation passed in May by the New York City Council, the city’s pandemic-era Open Culture program, which allows arts and culture institutions to host events in public outdoor spaces throughout the city, will be renewed and made permanent. The bill,

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  • At the City Council, Library System Heads Argue Against Mayor's Budget Cuts

    Linda Johnson, Tony Marx, & Dennis Walcott (l-r) (photo: @nypl)


    The leaders of New York City’s three public library systems appealed to the New York City Council on Monday for its help in pushing back against tens of millions in possible budget cuts in Mayor Eric Adams’ $102.7 billion preliminary budget plan for the 2024 fiscal year.

    The New York, Brooklyn, and Queens Public Libraries, along with the city’s Research Libraries, together face a $20.5 million budget cut in the next fiscal year, which starts July 1, as part of a Program to Eliminate the Gap (PEG) that the mayor instituted to cut city

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  • City Libraries Launch Push to Beat Back Mayor Adams' Budget Cuts

    At a library in Queens (photo: John McCarten/City Council)


    The city’s public library systems launched a campaign on Monday to push back against tens of millions of dollars in budget cuts in Mayor Eric Adams’ proposed budget. Adams’ $102.7 billion preliminary budget for the 2024 fiscal year, which begins July 1, is now the focus of a series of City Council hearings.

    For the past several months, the mayor’s budget moves have invited criticism as he pushed major cuts to city spending. Ahead of a mid-year November

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  • The Path Forward for New York Democrats

    Gov. Hochul & Mayor Adams (photo: Kevin P. Coughlin/Governor's Office)


    Over the past month, New York Democrats have been grappling with the outcome of a midterm election with devastating implications—both on a local and national level. 

    Despite Republicans falling short of expectations across the country, New York Democrats saw four Congressional seats and seven state legislative seats flipped by the GOP. Not to mention closer than expected races for statewide offices. 

    None of this was inevitable. In fact, Democrats in far more competitive and divided states fared much

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  • Officials Celebrate Additional Library Funding in New York City Budget

    City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams & Queens Public Library President Dennis Walcott (photo: John McCarten/City Council)


    The new fiscal year 2023 New York City budget includes $452.8 million in expense funding for the city’s three library systems and research libraries — a $20 million increase from last year’s $431.9 million. Additionally, the City Council put another $15.7 million in operating funds from its discretionary monies, set to be shared among the three systems, bringing the total expense funding for libraries in this year’s city budget to $468.5 million.

    That money helps operate

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  • In Competitive Central Brooklyn City Council Race, Candidates Focus on Housing, Education and Public Safety

    3 cm robert cornegy new measures

    Outgoing Council Member Robert Cornegy (photo: John McCarten/City Council)


    With City Council Member Robert Cornegy, Jr. among the three dozen members of the 51-seat Council facing term limits this year, there is a competitive Democratic primary unfolding to replace him in Brooklyn’s 36th District, which includes northern Crown Heights and parts of Bedford Stuyvesant. Cornegy, a Democrat, has held the seat for two terms, nearing eight years. Given the district’s overwhelming Democratic voter enrollment, the winner of the

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