The Democratic candidates for New York City comptroller faced off for the last time before Tuesday’s primary in a wide-ranging — and at times heartfelt — debate that aired Sunday morning.



The contest, hosted by POLITICO, NBC New York, Telemundo 47 and the Citizens Budget Commission, featured the top eight candidates for comptroller — one of three citywide elected positions. Candidates touched on a range of issues from fiscal management to mental health in the hourlong debate, but the top concern facing the next comptroller will be the city’s economic recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic and the anticipated $5 billion deficit in each of the coming budget years.

A better-than-projected economic recovery and a massive influx of federal aid have stuffed New York state’s once-bare coffers, a reversal of fortune that is leading some fiscal watchdogs to again question the state’s decision earlier this year to increase income taxes on high earners.

New York City's top Democratic contenders vying to become the city's next fiscal watchdog squared off in a final debate this week.

Eight candidates took the debate stage to make their case for why they should be the next comptroller. The participants were Brian Benjamin, Michelle Caruso-Cabrera, Zachary Iscol, Corey Johnson, Brad Lander, Kevin Parker, Reshma Patel, and David Weprin.

WNBC-TV co-hosted the debate with Telemundo 47/WNJU-TV, POLITICO, Citizens Budget Commission, and New York Urban League.

Who will manage the city's money and be the city's fiscal watchdog? That's the question the eight candidates tried to answer over the course of an hour.

The NYPD is on track to spend more than $434 million on police overtime this year, about half of what the department spent on overtime last year during the height of the pandemic but still beyond budget, according to a report issued by the city’s Independent Budget Office Friday.

As the governor’s coronavirus restrictions are lifted, New Yorkers are right to celebrate the resurgence of their social lives and the reclamation of our city as the cultural hub of America. But before the champagne goes flat, City Hall must take a sober look at how we spend our $6 billion in flexible federal aid to ensure that we have a rapid and equitable economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sheila Lewandowski bought her Queens home in 2001 with her former husband for $265,000. It’s probably worth four times that now.

If she had to pay four times the property taxes she did 20 years ago, she’s not sure she could afford to stay.

When George Floyd was murdered by the police last May, galvanizing protests for racial justice, efforts to recognize Juneteenth — the day commemorating the end of slavery in the United States — picked up steam across the country.

Mayor Bill de Blasio took notice. And on June 19 of last year, he made a solemn vow.

“Starting next year, Juneteenth will be an official city holiday and official New York City schools holiday,” Mr. de Blasio said.

Remote learning has moved to the top of the school agenda with a vengeance since March of last year. Without it, tens of millions of American students would have been without formal instruction during the pandemic. It’s a big topic moving forward as we think about what schools will look like come September.

“Business And Civic Leaders Call City’s Plan For Federal Aid ‘Scattershot,’” by WNYC’s Beth Fertig: “More than 20 leaders from different business, arts, and community groups have written a letter to the mayor and city council urging them to reconsider how they’re using federal stimulus aid in the nearly $100 billion proposed budget, which takes effect in July. The unusual coalition of critics and allies of Mayor Bill de Blasio said, ‘We write out of deep concern that current plans for these funds do not strategically support those sectors and communities that have suffered the greatest losses’ from the COVID-19 pandemic. They warn that a failure to wisely allocate the dollars ‘will delay recovery and create unnecessary fiscal stress in the future.’ The signatories include leaders of building and hospitality trade groups, the Partnership for New York City, and the Citizens Budget Commission, which often critique City Hall's priorities, as well as the Broadway League, the New York Urban League, and different chambers of commerce.”

Even with eight candidates on stage, no clear alliances were formed to knock down a chosen target or two in the final face-off before the June 22 primary. And while Eric Adams, who has risen to the top of recent polls, took some frontrunner heat over his policing stances, the candidates spent little to no time revisiting one another’s individual campaign scandals and snafus. The harassment allegations against Scott Stringer, Adams’ ever-changing address(es) and the uprising among Dianne Morales’ staffers were largely passed over.

An extraordinary amount of federal aid will flow into New York City over the next few years, and Mayor Bill de Blasio has no shortage of ideas on how to spend it. But to a newly formed alliance of business leaders and nonprofits, his proposals simply won’t do.

The group — which includes the Real Estate Board of New York and the Partnership for New York City — sent a letter to de Blasio and several City Council members urging them to reconsider plans for deploying an influx of around $22 billion in federal relief, the New York Times reported.

New York City’s crowded field of Democratic mayoral candidates made their final pitch to voters on Wednesday night during a debate that lacked substance and was repeatedly derailed by petty squabbles.

All eight City Hall hopefuls stepped on stage for the WNBC-TV event and given equal time — despite some candidates polling in the low single digits. Joining the top contenders were ex-Citigroup executive Ray McGuire, former federal housing director Shaun Donovan and non-profit leader Dianne Morales.