Mayor de Blasio announced this morning, April 16, that NYC’s public pools will remained closed throughout this summer.
He also mentioned that there were no plans as of now to open the beaches. He told New Yorkers to have “lower expectations” about summer in NYC.
Though there are worries of crowding, the decision to close the pools was actually a budgetary one. In order to help recover from the financial crisis coronavirus is presenting, the city is making over $2 billion in budget cuts.
“Those cuts are painful,” he said. “But they pale in comparison to the challenges ahead.” It is projected over this fiscal year and next, he said, that the city will lose $7.4 billion in tax revenue.
“We will cut where we can, but when it comes to protecting New Yorkers, we will not cut that,” he added.
The newly created executive budget focuses on four main elements: health, safety, food and shelter. Of course, pools aren’t included in that.
According to the New York Post, closing the pools will save the city about $12 million.
featured image source: NYC Parks, Astoria Park Pool