NEW YORK (PIX11) -- Fallout from the deep New York City budget cuts continues.
There is new concern about food insecurity in schools and subway safety. Meanwhile, Gov. Kathy Hochul is promising to deliver state help, declaring the city "must be safe."
"It's important that people realize that this is unacceptable at a time when child hunger is rising," said Rachel Sabella with No Kid Hungry.
Sabella said her organization's latest survey shows two of every five New York children are food insecure. She is waiting on the details of a planned $60 million cut to the in-school meal program, but is already bracing for huge problems with inflation lingering.
Mayor Eric Adams has taken pride in making public school meals healthier, and in lowering major crime. The city is poised to lose 4,000 cops by mid-2025 due to NYPD cuts.
Adams once again said the city will now have to wisely pick and choose where to spend money.
"COVID money is running out," the mayor reiterated Monday. "We're not receiving money from the national government for the asylum-seeker issue. We are looking at major financial issues."
Hochul on Monday said conversations have already begun to find out what the state can do to help the city, including more money for migrants and MTA or state police in the subways.
"The city must be safe," Hochul declared. "I'll work with the mayor to make sure that's accomplished."
However, Hochul made clear that in her view, new taxes were not on the table.
"Taxes are high enough in the state of New York, and we have to live within our means," Hochul said.
The cuts themselves are not final. They will need to be negotiated with the New York City Council.
Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson served on the council for eight years. She told the PIX11 Morning News the council must push back as it has before.
"During the COVID-19 pandemic for budget years 2020 and 2021, we had massive potential cuts," Gibson said. "We pushed back. We did not accept cutting academy classes. We cannot accept cutting Sunday library service and school budgets."