🔴 LIVE: "Oversight—Budgeting for Equity," Hosted by the Committee on Civil and Human Rights

This New York City Council Committee on Civil and Human Rights hearing on February 27, 2026, focused on oversight of the city's racial equity budgeting process. Key discussions centered on the significant delays in releasing the mandated preliminary racial equity plans and the true cost of living measure, both required by the 2022 charter reforms. The Mayor's Office of Equity and Racial Justice (MOERJ) and the Commission on Racial Equity (CORE) testified about ongoing efforts to finalize and implement these plans, emphasizing the integration of equity considerations into agency budgets and the importance of community feedback. However, concerns were raised about the lack of transparency, legal review delays, and insufficient funding to fully implement equity goals. Witnesses from advocacy groups highlighted the critical need for increased budget allocations to agencies like the Commission on Human Rights to enforce civil rights laws effectively. The hearing underscored the challenges in aligning city budgeting with racial equity objectives and the necessity for timely plan releases to guide equitable resource allocation across city agencies.