[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6563807,"mediaKeyId","3325525-7ebd99489eb99c85c4c0c72a82476dfe","parentId",3325525,"title","CUNY urges council to use PEG restorations to rebuild faculty, campus repairs and student services","audioSeconds",957,"startMs",584000,"endMs",1541000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3325525-7ebd99489eb99c85c4c0c72a82476dfe&start=584&end=1541","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3325525-7ebd99489eb99c85c4c0c72a82476dfe/thumbnail_584000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6563807/New-York/CUNY-urges-council-to-use-PEG-restorations-to-rebuild-faculty-campus-repairs-and-student-services","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6563807-251a0db0206f4b95a264628713cbe489/orig.mp4?Expires=1771013445&Signature=DPudeafBRE5aaQ22yKCoMJJN-LyPQDDGCZcV8cPcgrtyp0gTfd4gFfIC8xOCK6WH3qJRW5In0wH7gTQWFMpWRF1akfiuGTWWZKDE5m7Ciys0EmjcmWS0etvUXiL2fUNvV0FmCMwVNfB0Es9Hfb0NXa0COburD1ROducEh77rUUyiUJ98Ec8Qgey2ku6b99NMT0Ah~RS93mjFpFYjgRTCd5Rnr86JJHZLuWEg4jHNfVvlygH2RmK2TJyx~zGtTC0qL6EdWxDE7fIGFUsxJGmjrxZO-phYKE38V6M21j495ORUUH~vf1vlqTj~k5glv~XQrqbDxHScwuY1ygUv05Wbxg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of New York, NY","date","2025-05-15T19:31:09.743Z","article","Felix Matos Rodriguez, chancellor of the City University of New York, told the New York City Council on May 1 that the executive FY26 plan proposes $1.48 billion for CUNY and baselines a major portion of prior PEG cuts while adding one‑time operating support and capital dollars.

The move “baselining the full PEG restoration” gives CUNY “an opportunity to thoughtfully develop a long term plan to rebuild what was lost,” Matos Rodriguez said. He asked the council to back additional priorities, including expanded CUNY Reconnect outreach, application fee waivers, food insecurity aid, mental health services and a metro‑card pilot.

Why it matters: CUNY is the largest public higher‑education system in the city and a primary pathway to upward mobility. Administrators and union representatives told the council the PEG cuts and subsequent vacancies have reduced capacity for advising, financial aid counseling and classroom instruction and have left major deferred maintenance needs across campuses.

Key budget details and program impacts

- System budget: The mayor’s executive plan proposes $1.48 billion for CUNY in FY26, the chancellor said. The FY26 executive amount represents an increase from earlier FY25 allocations, largely tied to PEG restorations and collective bargaining funding.

- PEG restorations: Council members noted a FY26 baseline PEG restoration of roughly $95.5 million for CUNY, much of it allocated to personal services. Matos Rodriguez called the peg restorations “critical” and thanked the council for support.

- Vacancies and staffing: CUNY said it has hundreds of vacancies after prior reductions. CUNY’s chief financial officer reported community college headcount and vacancy snapshots: out of a total headcount at community colleges of about 10,291, officials said there were roughly 90 pedagogical vacancies and 276 non‑pedagogical vacancies (data provided to the committee by CUNY finance staff). The administration said restoration dollars will be triaged in consultation with college presidents and by looking at enrollment trends and campus fiscal health.

- Student enrollment and tuition adjustment: Provost Alicia Alvaro told the committee enrollment snapshots show growth: senior college enrollment up about 4 percent year‑over‑year and community college enrollment up about 16 percent in the same point‑in‑time comparison. The executive plan also contains a technical tuition adjustment line that reduced FY25 tuition‑related revenue by $50 million (a carryover from earlier adjustments) and CUNY said it hopes upticks in enrollment will reduce future technical adjustments.

- Priority programs: The executive budget restores funds for long‑standing council priorities including ASAP and ACE. Matos Rodriguez highlighted CUNY Reconnect’s expansion and requested sustained funding for Reconnect, application fee waivers, food security and disability services such as CUNY LEADS and CUNY Unlimited.

- Capital and state of good repair: The chancellor asked for city and state capital support. The executive capital plan cited $1.57 billion in city funding over the ten‑year plan and CUNY requested a $150 million allocation for the Allstate Health and Natural Science Building and about $200 million targeted to reduce the system’s backlog of state‑of‑good‑repair projects. CUNY told the committee it has completed 73 capital projects in the past year and said the system’s state‑of‑good‑repair percentage has risen from about 24 percent to 27 percent with the targeted approach.

Councilroom exchanges and follow‑ups

Council members pressed CUNY on how restorations will be prioritized across campuses, how one‑time funds (for example a $15 million community college one‑time allocation) should be used, and what the restoration means for recurring staffing needs. CUNY officials said they will caution campuses about using one‑time funds for ongoing personal‑service commitments and that college presidents will be consulted in staffing decisions.

Officials also discussed college pathways to high school students, ASAP part‑time pilots, dorm capacity and childcare. CUNY said systemwide dorm capacity is roughly 2,858 beds and reported plans to add approximately 1,172 beds over five years as part of broader affordability and access efforts.

What comes next

CUNY provided written testimony for the record and committee members asked for follow‑up data: fuller vacancy breakdowns by campus, final enrollment projections for fall, and line‑item detail on how one‑time campus operating funds will be allocated. The council will consider the executive plan and hearings record as it negotiates the adopted budget.

Direct quotes (from hearing):

\"By baselining the full PEG restoration, we have an opportunity to thoughtfully develop a long term plan to rebuild what was lost,\" Felix Matos Rodriguez, chancellor of the City University of New York.

\"We will be taking some of those lessons to work with the colleges in the staffing,\" Alicia Alvaro, interim university provost, on prioritizing restorations across campuses.

Ending: The council’s budget process now moves from hearings to negotiations; CUNY leaders asked members to protect baselined restorations and to fund student‑facing pilots and targeted capital projects to shore up safety, accessibility and student success across the system.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","🔴 LIVE: Finance/Higher Education/Gov Ops' FY26 Executive Budget Hearing","oneSentenceSummary","Felix Matos Rodriguez, chancellor of the City University of New York, told the New York City Council on May 1 that the executive FY26 plan proposes $1.48 billion for CUNY and baselines a major portion of prior PEG cuts while adding one‑time operating support and capital dollars.","taxTitle","New York City Council, New York City, New York County, New York","taxId",77593,"location","New York","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6563796,"Campaign Finance Board seeks technology and staff expansions as council presses for faster audits and stronger enforcement",230,8693000,8923000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3325525-7ebd99489eb99c85c4c0c72a82476dfe&start=8693&end=8923","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3325525-7ebd99489eb99c85c4c0c72a82476dfe/thumbnail_8693000.jpg","/articles/6563796/New-York/Campaign-Finance-Board-seeks-technology-and-staff-expansions-as-council-presses-for-faster-audits-and-stronger-enforcement","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6563796-2ff21b67a160b802eaf1f813abf4c03d/orig.mp4?Expires=1771013445&Signature=naIBh~PDo5hkLJuVEwqBaW2a1B1Cr1CpaoISoOCLOHJ8wiVVp-5Ck-GUWgRrYXVnhorl3C0tq-1hhsC-yJVVVApvbBKhzf5efrgfb8pJC4AaoLUFaGQeXvU83GfpWcguRAWR6B0Uw1Ws8LlAq6E5MnUud0YCh~dTNC6l4AuGCbFccCW3nK5Wj1HvO9222uVnEC-TeLRgOaj8y6~ZvV4cbTZ~vgfn98qUJChL0wkQX~MlqrvnO7u1W0qZEQV8qEh-1Iss6oaOm40QrrsT5smE-ZkkGEoRVx1sAgWJ-fLCu-Q5wlPdzUl4A4GjF1xWNdgC1MeKJap7S20ScxjBo1ToJw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Paul Seamus Ryan, executive director of the New York City Campaign Finance Board, told council committees on May 1 that the board’s FY26 executive budget totals about $109.46 million and includes a headcount increase of 45 positions to support strategic planning, technology modernization and voter engagement.

Ryan told the committee the FY26 budget reflects lower matching‑funds payouts in the fiscal year because the June 2025 primary was budgeted in FY25 and the November general election public‑matching payments fall in FY26; the FY26 matching‑funds projection is $22.2 million versus $82.6 million in FY25.

Why it matters: The CFB administers New York City’s public matching funds, enforces campaign finance rules and produces voter‑education materials. Council members repeatedly pressed the agency to speed audits and enforcement so potential misuse of public funds can be identified before or during an election, not only after investigations conclude years later.

Budget and operations highlights

- Overall request and headcount: The CFB’s FY26 request includes $27.4 million for personal services (budgeted headcount 258) and $59.9 million for other‑than‑personal‑services. Executive Director Ryan said the requested headcount will grow to support a new strategy, product and innovation division and expanded public‑affairs, technology, operations and people‑operations teams.

- Matching funds projection: $22.2 million is budgeted for public matching funds in FY26; Ryan explained the large year‑to‑year swing reflects timing of primary vs. general election payouts.

- Audits and enforcement: Ryan said the agency has a backlog of audits from prior cycles and has set targets to complete 50% of post‑election audits within one year for the 2025 cycle and a longer‑term goal of 90% completion within one year by 2029. He reported the agency has sent 27 final audit reports in the prior 30 days and has distributed draft audit reports for the majority of outstanding matters. For 2021 audits the CFB reported completion of 186 of 431 campaigns (about 43%) as of testimony; for the 2023 set the agency reported that it had issued 56 draft reports and completed 20 audits.

- Intermediaries and matching‑funds checks: The CFB described a new practice of flagging suspected intermediaries; since the policy change the board reported 587 invalid matching claims codes tied to suspected intermediary issues (about 3% of invalid matching claims in the 2025 cycle), and the agency has withheld matching payments when campaigns have not responded to requested documentation.

- Recent enforcement steps: Ryan confirmed the board acted this cycle to withhold funds from campaigns where suspicious activity implicated third‑party expenditures; he did not discuss ongoing investigations in detail, citing investigative restrictions and ongoing processes.

Council concerns and follow‑ups

Council members repeatedly pressed the CFB on two central themes: the audit backlog and whether existing rules and capacity are sufficient to stop improper use of public funds in or before an election. Several members asked whether the CFB has needed investigative access (for example to vendor or platform records) and whether statutory changes could improve disclosure and intermediary reporting.

The CFB said it will continue to expand staff and build a product roadmap (working with a consultant, BloomWorks) to modernize its systems and speed audits. The board also described investments in language access, ranked‑choice voting education (about $3.2 million in the executive plan), and outreach: thousands of voter‑education events in 2024 and mailers and digital campaigns planned for 2025.

Direct quotes (from hearing):

\"FY26 will continue to be shaped by our 7‑year strategic plan... we have an agency North Star goal of completing 90% of audits within 1 year of the 2029 election,\" Paul Ryan, executive director, on audit goals.

\"We have to speed these things up...we are splitting resources between the 2025 election and working through the backlog,\" Ryan on audit capacity and constraints.

Ending: Council members said they supported resourcing the CFB to run voter education and to meet legal mandates, but they also demanded faster audits and clearer intermediary reporting to protect public matching funds during elections. The CFB committed to continued hiring, technology upgrades and programmatic changes to meet those requests.","At the same May 1 hearing the Campaign Finance Board outlined a FY26 executive budget of $109.46 million that includes staffing and technology increases and a reduced FY26 matching funds line because most matching payments were made in FY25. Council members pressed the agency on an audit backlog from prior cycles, intermediary reporting",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6563801,"CUNY reports 78 stop‑work orders and $17M in at‑risk research funding; administrators create task force to appeal cancellations",25,2392000,2417000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3325525-7ebd99489eb99c85c4c0c72a82476dfe&start=2392&end=2417","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3325525-7ebd99489eb99c85c4c0c72a82476dfe/thumbnail_2392000.jpg","/articles/6563801/New-York/CUNY-reports-78-stopwork-orders-and-17M-in-atrisk-research-funding-administrators-create-task-force-to-appeal-cancellations","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6563801-1a0c5f025553888835c410001ae20b6f/orig.mp4?Expires=1771013445&Signature=bqT5tMD~aXbd1ngu1db3HdrmwL2rKtWQQQd-ahsr4GLEpXQHvdP5rPoDN3xPoWtAyZqXNY8nvf30t-HJE7zROxwNixfHhsatkFhpCn9MQN2zglREC20Eh2kvKEqy2cHaJ~-Jfz9nBtOgqe0Q8MNwdR-1tFTuBxRgbgOSXGC92KHsuv31RVKnroAZn-DwPFfVHXmCqRje~zAp6zRmDQ4~AB9YdSgHr90W9FBip7KB9Xzgyxf6zZknHvwk~fG8-SSb-oJCcqgVs3L4tj-TZftcqYKEORn9liUoa5dGrh40vTBTNkVAmWSVP5iO8pssMBZk~UXYa2cpLa9gsOvz0A77cw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","CUNY officials told the New York City Council on May 1 that federal stop‑work orders have imperiled research grants and threatened jobs and student research opportunities across the system.

\"We received a total of 78 stop work orders and 7 were rescinded. So right now it's…$17,000,000 that we anticipated receiving for research, has been, is, at risk,\" said a CUNY official citing the most recent counts. Council members pressed for details; administrators said roughly 98 employees had already been affected and noted the number of notices is changing daily.

Why it matters: Research grants fund faculty projects, graduate and undergraduate research opportunities, and many campus positions. When grants are paused or rescinded, projects stop midstream, student researchers lose financial support and continuity, and campuses can face personnel losses.

What CUNY reported at the hearing

- Stop‑work orders and amounts: University witnesses said they have recorded 78 stop‑work orders with seven rescinded and that roughly $17 million in anticipated research funding was at risk at the time of testimony. Chancellor Felix Matos Rodriguez and Provost Alicia Alvaro both described the evolving list and said it changes as agencies issue new notices.

- Personnel impacts: CUNY told the council that 98 employees had been affected so far by grants stopped in mid‑process. In a worst‑case scenario presented by the administration, the chancellor said if all federal research funding (about $200 million annually in CUNY’s estimate) were to stop it could put thousands of positions at risk; the chancellor cited a citywide exposure figure of roughly 14,000 employees in an extreme scenario if all federal funding were removed.

- Types of research and students affected: Grants cited fund a wide range of work, from environmental and public‑health projects to research on disease impacts in underrepresented populations. CUNY leaders said the cuts do not appear to follow a single scientific or disciplinary logic and are affecting projects across campuses.

CUNY’s response and enforcement steps

- Task force and appeals: The university said it has created an internal task force that includes principal investigators, campus research officers, central research office staff and the research foundation. The task force is reviewing stop‑work letters to determine grounds for challenge and advising investigators whether an appeal may be successful. Where appropriate, CUNY officials said they will challenge cancellations and pursue administrative remedies.

- Bridge funding: When grants are paused but the university deems work essential, administrators said they are providing temporary bridge funding in some cases to keep researchers and staff employed while legal and administrative avenues are pursued.

- External legal and policy advocacy: CUNY leaders said they are coordinating with the state attorney general’s office and national higher‑education organizations. The chancellor noted CUNY’s engagement with national groups, including the American Council on Education, in litigation and policy work related to federal research funding rules.

Council follow‑up and member concerns

Council members pressed CUNY for a project‑level list of paused grants and asked how many students depend on the affected projects. University leaders said they can provide more granular lists to the committee and continue to update figures as the situation changes.

Direct quotes (from hearing):

\"78 stop work orders ... $17,000,000 that we anticipated receiving for research, has been, is, at risk,\" a CUNY official (Provost office testimony) said in response to committee questioning.

\"If the additional federal funding that we get, which is about $200,000,000 overall stop, that'll be, like, 14,000 employees,\" Felix Matos Rodriguez, chancellor, on the extreme exposure scenario discussed in the hearing.

Ending: CUNY said it will continue to compile project lists, pursue administrative appeals and deploy limited bridge funding while asking the city and state to support broader advocacy to protect federal research resources and the student and staff jobs supported by them.","CUNY leaders told the City Council that federal agency stop‑work orders have put dozens of research grants and campus positions at immediate risk. University officials said 78 stop‑work orders had been issued, with about $17 million of research funding at risk and at least 98 employees affected so far; they described a task force, bridge funding,","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

CUNY urges council to use PEG restorations to rebuild faculty, campus repairs and student services

Campaign Finance Board seeks technology and staff expansions as council presses for faster audits and stronger enforcement

CUNY reports 78 stop‑work orders and $17M in at‑risk research funding; administrators create task force to appeal cancellations