NYC Public Library Action Network

Library Funding Stances by City Council Members

11/51 City Council Members Say Yes to 0.5% of the City Budget!

Don’t see yours listed below? Reach out to them and get them on board!

NYC PLAN is asking all City Council members in NYC to commit to fighting for increasing public library funding to at least half of 1% of the annual city expense budget in each financial plan released while they are in office.

Image of Mayor Mamdani with a broad smile, clearly thinking of how amazing libraries are, in a dark suit and tie against a dark background

Mayor Mamdani ran on this and New Yorkers elected him and the platform he ran on, so our City Council Members can know the people of this city will stand with them if they stand with the libraries. In December, he reiterated this commitment during a visit to the Greenpoint Library.

You can participate as well by signing our letter, joining our weekly Wednesday phone zaps, and setting up a meeting with your City Council Member to ensure our libraries are properly supported in the upcoming budget!

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Lynn Schulman

Photo of a white woman in glasses with short, white hair, speaking before a microphone with clear thoughts and some sun in her eyes

Agreed to our demand!

Our first official yes from City Council!

Christopher Marte

Photo of a light skinned man with short brown hair, speaking into a microphone with an energetic and gentle smile

Agreed to our demand!

Participated in our October 2025 People’s Assembly!

Lincoln Restler

Photo of a white man with glasses and bushy hair, speaking into a microphone, seemingly animated by a real concern for his constituents. He's wearing a checkered shirt

Agreed to our demand!

Participated in our May 2025 People’s Assembly!

Shahana Hanif

Image of an animated woman with long hair, eye glasses, and brown skin, speaking into a large microphone. She seems joyful, as though she's announcing some structural change to the city that will make her constituents' lives easier

Agreed to our demand!

Serves on the Committee on Cultural Affairs, Libraries, and International Intergroup Organizations & has committed discretionary funds to libraries!

Alexa Avilés

Photo of Alexa Avilés, a woman with long curly brown hair, a gray jacket and orange shirt. She looks calmly engaged in a policy she cares about sincerely

Agreed to our demand!

Tireless advocate for resources for the public!

Chi Ossé

Photo of Chi Ossé speaking, with his hands, at a podium in front of some greenery and a yellow wall on a sunny day, with another person with short hair and sunglasses in the background

Agreed to our demand!

Sits on the Committee on Cultural Affairs, Libraries, and International Intergroup Relations, co-chair of the Brooklyn Delegation

Rita Joseph

Photo of Rita Joseph speaking into a microphone, clearly engaged in making NYC more accessible

Agreed to our demand!

A veteran educator, she is proud to stand up with NYC PLAN to fight for a 0.5% budget allocation to libraries!

Mercedes Narcisse

Photo of Mercedes Narcisse, with short hair and a white or light pink shirt, looking down and to the left, clearly thinking deeply about how to make the city better for her constituents

Agreed to our demand!

Progressive champion for Council District 46

Julie Won

Photo of Julie Won looking into the camera, behind a microphone, with a camel-colored coat on, expressing concern for public transit users with disabilities

Agreed to our demand!

A strong progressive voice for Council District 26

Virginia Maloney

Photo of Virginia Maloney in a black and white top, speaking into a microphone, projecting gratitude

Agreed to our demand!

A keen advocate for affordability and public goods with a background in accessible and assistive technology

Harvey Epstein

Photo of Harvey Epstein in a blue shirt and blue suit jacket, smiling in the sun

Agreed to our demand!

A career-long advocate for marginalized New Yorkers who represented the city in Albany before choosing to give up his seat in the Assembly to serve in city government

Inna Vernikov

Photo of a white woman with long brown hair and dead eyes speaking into a microphone, probably about how we need more parking spaces and less affordable housing

Opposes us

Fought to increase parking spaces at the expense of affordable housing, waved a gun at protesters, and violated ethics rules