Wednesday, September 27, the MTA held a meeting to discuss the problems of financing of repair of the subway. According to their estimates, the reconstruction of the metro will cost about $ 800 million. Many have issues where the DMV will take the money.
The head of the MTA Joe Lhota announced that half of the amount the city should be providing. Moreover, management will not be able to complete the reconstruction, if mayor de Blasio does not allocate the necessary amount.
«I’m not spending a penny more than planned in our budget. We’ll see what can and cannot be performed if you do not collect the required amount of money.»
Lhota stressed that the renovation plan of the metro is a priority, but its implementation is completely dependent on the finalization of the budget. «If we do not receive the full amount, we may not be able to do what I planned,» he admitted.
On the question of Executive Vice President, MTA James Vitiello about specific sources of funding for reconstruction, Lhota said he would present the budget in October, «based on the fact whether we will get half the money or not.»
Mayor bill de Blasio has repeatedly insisted that the billions of dollars that the city contributes to the Fund of capital repair and operating expenses budget MTA, are an indication that the residents of new York city has paid its share. The mayor also noted that Governor Andrew Cuomo controls the MTA alone and that the office is suffering for many years because the Governor and the legislature redistribute part of the budget management.
Austin Finan, a spokesman for mayor De Blasio said that «only half of the planned is not an option. If Joe Lhota need money to carry out his plan, he should ask the state to return half a billion dollars, which he borrowed from the budget of the organization, which is responsible for Lhota».
On the question of publication Gothamist, would that make Governor Cuomo the state to allocate more funds if the city will stick to its position, its representative John Weinstein said, «the State assumed part of the cost, and will provide the money the MTA regardless of the decision of the city on the financing.»
