Statement from the Play Fair Coalition on the FY26 Budget

June 27, 2025

“City Hall has failed working class New Yorkers and the parks system they rely on. Amid rising crime in parks, deteriorating park conditions, and increasing forest fires and heat waves, New Yorkers and families need more staff presence and maintenance workers so their parks are safe, clean and accessible, as well as a restored forestry workforce so they can maintain the tree canopy. Yet the budget does not come close to what our city needs.

The administration is ignoring the calls and dedicated advocacy of the City Council, union workers, hard-working volunteers, non-profit partners, environmental advocates, and every day New Yorkers who have been demanding the restoration of 795 previously cut and urgently needed parks workers in the budget. These are essential positions to maintain our city’s parks, and to enhance the quality of life of every New Yorker, from our city’s seniors to the kids who are just getting out of school and ready to enjoy the summer.

As NYC continues to tumble in the rankings of our country's parks systems, dropping each year during this administration and now ranked just 13th among major American cities, this moment demands that New Yorkers see tangible improvements to their quality of life. Access to safe and clean parks is essential to being a city where New Yorkers want to raise a family and grow old. Four years ago, Eric Adams pledged - very publicly - to increase funding for parks. Instead, despite being called the ‘Best Budget Ever’, we are left begging for cuts to Parks staffing that he made to be restored. And once again, New Yorkers are let down by the Mayor.”

Adam Ganser, Executive Director, New Yorkers for Parks

“You’d expect that in the summer of an election year– as New Yorkers flock to their favorite parks on the weekends and in the evenings– that the Mayor would take this moment to finally invest in improving our parks system. Yet, the administration has once again failed to deliver on what New Yorkers are yearning for in their greenspaces. We thank the City Council for fighting to improve quality of life through investment in our parks, and hope City Hall will deliver on their promises for a fully restored parks system.”

Julie Tighe, President, NYLCV

“Following our worst heat wave in more than a decade, this budget leaves millions of New York City’s park users out in the cold. If budgets equal priorities then NYC’s FY26 Budget makes clear that Mayor Adams has failed our green spaces and the workers that maintain them and make them safe. If you want to invest in affordability and quality of life, parks should be top of the list. They are the free places New Yorkers have to play, picnic, exercise and get fresh air. Parks and green spaces are critical infrastructure that cool our communities, absorb air pollution and stormwater, especially in low-income communities and communities of color. We appreciate the City Council fighting for our parks but we are disappointed with the Adams Administration's broken promises. New Yorkers deserve results.”

Parks and Open Space Partners NYC

Parks and Open Space Partners NYC, the citywide network of 45 nonprofit organizations dedicated to stewarding and programming New York City’s green and open spaces, is greatly disappointed by this Administration's ongoing underfunding of the New York City Parks system.

For over 40 years, we have worked alongside NYC Parks staff to steward our system, and rely on the City for trash management and basic maintenance, underlying the need for adequate and stable public funding to ensure all parks thrive. The urgent need to invest in our parks and public spaces cannot be overstated. During the pandemic, our parks served as lifelines for New Yorkers, providing safe spaces for socializing, exercising, and connecting with nature. Today, their importance has only grown. They are essential hubs for community building—they make life livable. Underfunding our parks not only threatens the health and vitality of our green spaces but our communities at large.

We thank the City Council for their leadership in advocating for funding for our parks, and urge the Administration to uphold its commitment to parks. They are part of what makes New York the greatest city in the world.

Andrew Wallach, Interim Executive Director of the Natural Areas Conservancy

"Supporting our parks and natural areas is a common sense investment in creating healthier and more resilient communities across the five boroughs. Unfortunately, this administration has once again failed to deliver on its promise to sufficiently fund our city's green spaces," said Andrew Wallach, interim executive director of the Natural Areas Conservancy. "While we appreciate the inclusion of $3 million in restored funding for natural areas, we will continue to urge the mayor's office to make this funding permanent and properly support the care of all of our parks to ensure that critical maintenance can continue beyond this year."

Lonnie Portis, Acting Director of Policy and Legislative Affairs at WE ACT for Environmental Justice

“As our city reels from the first heat wave of what is looking to be a long, hot summer, New Yorkers – especially those of us who live in environmental justice communities, where the few parks and greenspaces available tend to be poorly maintained – remain frustrated and disappointed that Mayor Adams has once again failed to keep his campaign promise of fully funding public parks,” said Lonnie Portis, Acting Director of Policy and Legislative Affairs at WE ACT for Environmental Justice. “Robust, well-funded parks, greenspaces, and street trees help reduce the Urban Heat Island effect as well as flooding from summer storms, providing welcoming spaces where communities can come together in harmony and safety.”