Slim Capital Budget Leaves de Blasio With Few Options

Mayor Bill de Blasio will have a year to submit his capital budget plan, which will set a road map for new infrastructure projects during his term. That plan, however, will not come without challenges, some of which were discussed at an infrastructure panel hosted by the General Contractors Association of New York at Fordham University on Monday.

De Blasio spent much of the last year touting the need for a tax on the wealthy to pay for pre-kindergarten and after-school programs. State and federal funding is not enough, he said, arguing a dedicated revenue source is the only way to make it work. The proposal was not popular when initially introduced, but now polls at 63 percent approval, according to a Nov. 2013 Quinnipiac University poll.

Mayor Bill de Blasio will have a year to submit his capital budget plan, which will set a road map for new infrastructure projects during his term. That plan, however, will not come without challenges, some of which were discussed at an infrastructure panel hosted by the General Contractors Association of New York at Fordham University on Monday.

De Blasio spent much of the last year touting the need for a tax on the wealthy to pay for pre-kindergarten and after-school programs. State and federal funding is not enough, he said, arguing a dedicated revenue source is the only way to make it work. The proposal was not popular when initially introduced, but now polls at 63 percent approval, according to a Nov. 2013 Quinnipiac University poll.