The debate was hosted by the New York City Campaign Finance Board in partnership with WNBC-TV, Telemundo, Politico, Citizens Budget Commission, and the New York Urban League. Early voting will be October 23-31 and Election Day is Tuesday, November 2. Absentee balloting is ongoing.

Wednesday’s debate was hosted by WNBC-TV, Telemundo 47, Politico, the Citizens Budget Commission and the New York Urban League.

“We need to be careful about our competitive position,” said Andrew Rein, president of the Citizens Budget Commission.

WHERE ARE ERIC AND CURTIS? Meeting for their first general election debate at 7 p.m. on WNBC, co-hosted by POLITICO, Telemundo 47, the Citizens Budget Commission, and the New York Urban League.

The debate at WNBC's Rockefeller Center studios was co-hosted by POLITICO, Telemundo 47, the Citizens Budget Commission and the New York Urban League — one of two official debates sanctioned by the New York City Campaign Finance Board ahead of the Nov. 2 general election.

The debate at WNBC's Rockefeller Center studios was co-hosted by POLITICO, Telemundo 47, the Citizens Budget Commission and the New York Urban League — one of two official debates ahead of the Nov. 2 general election.

Ana Champeny, director of city studies at the fiscally conservative budget watchdog Citizens Budget Commission, said that the city is presenting retirees with a “set of reasonable options where they can make the choices for themselves.”

“These are very generous benefits, even compared to other municipalities.” Champeny said. “These costs need to be reined in.

Meanwhile, the Medicare Advantage move is the subject of two lawsuits seeking to prevent its implementation, both of which are being heard Wednesday in State Supreme Court in Manhattan.

One, filed by insurance giant Aetna, which submitted a bid for the contract that was awarded to the Alliance, claims that the Office of Labor Relations violated city procurement law in awarding the contract, and that EmblemHealth and Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield misrepresented their qualifications during the bidding process.

The next mayor could also set the city up for potential financial harm if he uses federal stimulus money to pay for new services, said Andrew Rein, president of the Citizens Budget Commission, a business-funded fiscal monitor.

Rein says Lander -- who was endorsed by politicians like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Elizabeth Warren -- has run a far more progressive campaign than Eric Adams, the Democratic nominee favored to win the mayoral election in November. It could be difficult for Lander to restrain a mayor who proposes a multibillion dollar increase to the city’s capital plan to pay for affordable housing, Rein said.

“He’s in the interesting position being arguably more progressive on spending priorities than the mayor he is supposed to be providing oversight over,” Rein said.

“We need to use our land smartly, to drive innovation, revenue, and to continue to be New York City, the global center of the world,” said Alicia Glen, chair of the Trust for Governors Island and a former Deputy Mayor for Housing and Economic Development under de Blasio, who appointed her to head the Trust. Glen appeared in July on the What’s The [Data] Point? podcast from Gotham Gazette and Citizens Budget Commission.

That ramp has been steep this week, as Buttigieg reverts to his “go everywhere” media habits.

Since Oct. 7, Buttigieg has appeared on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” “MSNBC with Geoff Bennett,” CNN’s “New Day,” CNBC’s “Morning Bell,” Bloomberg TV’s “Balance of Power,” and the NPR Politics Podcast. He participated in virtual events to promote the infrastructure bill with the Commercial Club of Chicago and the Citizen Budget Commission of New York. He also attended a high-profile meeting with President JOE BIDEN Wednesday on supply chain bottlenecks.

The state closed the application window for the Excluded Workers Fund last Friday and said it expects the funding to be exhausted by the end of this month.

The tracker was well received by government watchdog organizations.

“The public deserves to know how and when its money is being spent, and this provides much-needed insight into a broad range of important relief and recovery programs,” said Andrew S. Rein, president of the Citizens Budget Commission. “The massive influx of federal aid provides great opportunities, but only if it is managed well and drives results.”

During the Mayor's Daily Briefing, Bill de Blasio mentions CBC's Prize for Public Service Excellence winner The Vaccine Command Center