Follows Agreement Between Adams Administration and New York City Council on $116 Billion
FY 2026 Adopted Budget to Create a Safer, More Affordable City for Working-Class Families 

Adopted Budget Invests Nearly $300 Million in Department of Cultural Affairs,
Largest Investment in New York City History, Including First Substantial
Baseline Funding Increase in Over 10 Years 

Adopted Budget Also Invests Record $523 Million in Public Library Systems

Adopted Budget Builds on Investments Made in Mayor Adams’ “Best Budget Ever”
Earlier This Year to Support Cultural Organizations and
Make New York City Best Place to Raise a Family

NEW YORK – New York City Mayor Eric Adams, New York City Department of Cultural Affairs (DCLA) Commissioner Laurie Cumbo, and leaders of cultural organizations from across the city today celebrated historic investments in New York City’s cultural sector as part of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Adopted Budget. The FY 2026 Adopted Budget — which builds on the Adams administration’s initial “Best Budget Ever” unveiled earlier this year and passed unanimously by the New York City Council earlier this week — invests a record $299.6 million in DCLA, including a permanent funding increase of $45 million. That permanent, or baseline, funding increase — the first substantial baseline funding increase for DCLA in over a decade — was originally announced as part of Mayor Adams’ Best Budget Ever in May and included in the final, adopted budget as well. The FY 26 Adopted Budget also invests an additional $30 million into DCLA, bringing the total new investment in the agency to $75 million this fiscal year alone. The additional funding will bolster the city’s Cultural Development Fund (CDF), which supports more than 1,000 cultural organizations and neighborhood-based groups citywide, as well as the city’s 34 Cultural Institution Group (CIG) member organizations. Moreover, the FY 2026 Adopted Budget increases funding for the city’s three library systems by an additional $17 million, investing a record total of $523 million in the city’s libraries to support operations. Collectively, the investments celebrated today will help bolster the city’s cultural sector, attract tourists, and fulfill the Adams administration’s commitment to make New York City the best place to raise a family.

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“Arts and cultural institutions are essential to New York City, and the rich diversity of arts programming opportunities they offer is crucial to providing a holistic education for our students. Their continued partnerships with schools across our city are a lifeline for students and the highly specialized teaching artist workforce,” said Kimberly Olsen, executive director, New York City Arts in Education Roundtable. “We applaud New York City leaders who are proudly investing in our students’ futures and the vibrant communities that make our city the cultural capital of the world.”