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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PR- 330-06
September 14, 2006

MAYOR BLOOMBERG RELEASES FISCAL YEAR 2006 MAYOR’S MANAGEMENT REPORT

Report Reflects Continued Strong Performance at the Start of the Mayor’s Second Term

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg today released the Mayor’s Management Report (MMR) for Fiscal Year 2006.  The MMR provides an overview of City agency performance in delivering a wide range of services, and sets expected levels of service for Fiscal 2007.  The report shows continued strong performance in the delivery of City services.  Vital services were largely maintained or improved during the reporting period, and targeted service levels remain at or above the previous year’s goals.

“The overview of service delivery performance contained in this report shows that City government is capable of continuing the strong record of achievement seen over the past four years, and of achieving new milestones in providing quality public education, ensuring our citizens’ safety, enhancing the quality of life, and helping to improve the health and prosperity of New Yorkers,” said Mayor Bloomberg.  “The Mayor’s Management Report continues to document the City’s ability to deliver effective and efficient government services.”

In addition to agency performance statistics, the MMR shows information generated by the 311 Citizen Service Center.  311 has transformed the way City residents interact with government.  Calls to 311 rose to more than 14 million, a 14% increase, during Fiscal 2006 compared with the previous year.  311 was a critical tool for New Yorkers in coping with the transit strike and record snowstorm during Fiscal 2006.

The following highlights some of the information about agency performance in the Fiscal 2006 MMR.  Unless otherwise noted, the trends described below compare Fiscal 2005 (July 2004 through June 2005) with Fiscal 2006 (July 2005 through June 2006).

Public Safety

  • New York continues to be the safest large City in America: Major felony crime decreased for the 15th consecutive fiscal year, dropping by 5% from 136,491 in Fiscal 2005 to 130,093 in Fiscal 2006.  Based on preliminary FBI crime statistics for Calendar 2005, New York City remains the safest large city, with the lowest rate of crime among the 10 largest U.S. cities.
  • Homicides increased, but remain below 600: Reports of murder and non-negligent manslaughter increased from 537 in Fiscal 2005 to 564 in Fiscal 2006.  For the fourth consecutive fiscal year, there were fewer than 600 murders in New York City.
  • Major felony crime decreased in subways and public housing: Major felony crime in the transit system fell by 20%, from 3,383 in Fiscal 2005 to 2,709 in Fiscal 2006.  Major felony crime in public housing developments decreased again, from 5,112 in Fiscal 2005 to 5,005 in Fiscal 2006.
  • Response times to crimes in progress improved again:  NYPD response time to all crimes in progress decreased again in Fiscal 2006, including response time to critical incidents, which decreased by 6 seconds to 4.3 minutes, and response time to serious incidents, which decreased by 18 seconds to 6 minutes.
  • Civilian fire fatalities remained at historic low levels:  The number of civilians dying in fires increased by one death from 91 in Fiscal 2005 to 92 in Fiscal 2006; for the second year in a row the number remains at levels lower than any since 1919.
  • Response times to structural fires improved in the Bronx and Staten Island, but increased Citywide:  Response time to structural fires improved by 2 seconds in the Bronx and 4 seconds in Staten Island, but increased by 1 second citywide.  The Fire Department continues its efforts to improve response times and provide enhanced service at the highest safety levels.  During Spring of 2006, response times improved due to a utilization of comprehensive performance data.  Citywide average response time to structural fires was 4 minutes and 37 seconds during the first half of FY 2006 and decreased to 4 minutes and 28 seconds during the second half of the year.
  • Medical emergency response times continue to improve: Response time to life-threatening medical emergencies by fire units improved by 18 seconds to an average of 4 minutes and 30 seconds in Fiscal 2006.  Response time to life-threatening medical emergencies by ambulance units improved by 4 seconds, to an average of 6 minutes and 42 seconds.
  • Complaints concerning police officers rose: The Civilian Complaint Review Board received an estimated 7,373 complaints about alleged police officer misconduct in Fiscal 2006, an increase of 16% over the previous year.  Less than 4% of the more than 19,000 allegations closed by the Board in Calendar 2005 were substantiated, compared to over 6% of approximately 16,000 allegations in Calendar 2004.
  • The Office of Emergency Management trained more than twice as many people: More than 19,000 individuals (government employees, residents and businesses) participated in OEM-sponsored training programs in Fiscal 2006, more than twice the 9,080 individuals trained in Fiscal 2005.


Quality of Life

  • Calls to 311 continued to rise: In Fiscal 2006 the 311 Citizen Service Center received over 14 million calls, an increase of 14% compared to Fiscal 2005.  311 handled over 250,000 calls over the course of the record snowstorm in February 2006 and more than 716,000 calls related to the December 2005 transit strike.
  • Street cleanliness ratings reached an all-time high: For the second year in a row the annual rating of acceptable street cleanliness exceeded 90%.  The citywide percent of acceptably clean streets rose from 91.5% in Fiscal 2005 to 93.1% in Fiscal 2006. None of the City’s 234 Sanitation Sections were rated less than 80% acceptably clean for the average of the fiscal year.
  • Recycling tonnage and diversion rates declined:  Department of Sanitation recycling rates have been impacted by the decrease in newspaper materials.  Annual recycled tonnage fell by 20%, while the curbside and containerized diversion rate slipped from 16.8% to 16.4%.  The decline in tonnage is due to a sharp drop in the volume of clean fill material and reusable construction materials needed for landfill cover and access roads at the Fresh Kills Landfill.
  • The number of potholes repaired on time improved:  The percent of pothole repairs made within 30 days went up to 99% from 98% in Fiscal 2005.  The Department of Transportation repaired 179,728 potholes, 17% fewer than the 216,107 repaired in Fiscal 2006.  A milder winter and drier spring resulted in a drop in the number of pothole work orders. 
  • Street pavement ratings continued to decline:  Widespread construction activity continued to adversely impact street conditions.  The percent of streets rated in good condition by DOT fell to a low of 69.9%. 
  • Cleanliness and overall park condition ratings rose:  Acceptability ratings of City parks improved, edging up to 88% from 87% for overall condition and to 93% from 92% for cleanliness.
  • Tree maintenance goals surpassed:  The percentage of trees removed within 30 days of complaints made rose to 99% from 93%.  Over 2% more trees were serviced through the Department of Parks and Recreation’s block-by-block pruning program, 36,368 compared to 35,481 last year.
  • Traffic fatalities held fairly steady:  Traffic deaths increased by 1%, from 297 in Fiscal 2005 to 301 in Fiscal 2006, and were the second lowest since the early 1900’s.
  • Response times to air and noise complaints were better even as complaints increased:   The Department of Environmental Protection responded to 77% of air complaints and 82% of noise complaints not requiring property access within seven days.  While less than the target of 85%, performance was improved but continued to be impacted by the growing volume of complaints, which increased by 10% since last year.
  • The number of pest control exterminations performed has declined:  The Department of Health has refocused its rodent control strategy to target communities with high instances of rodent infestation in addition to responding to individual rodent complaints.  The 39% decrease in the number of pest control exterminations is a result of this new strategy, which emphasizes prevention and control.


Education

  • Class sizes are smaller: Average class size dropped in every grade from first grade through ninth grade, and fewer of the City’s youngest children were in classes of 29 or more students. For the 2005-06 School Year, the percent of students in 1st through 3rd grade in classes of more than 29 students was 1.4%, down from 1.8% the prior year.
  • School safety continued to improve: City schools experienced a reduction in major felony crime of nearly 10%, from 1,314 in Fiscal 2005 to 1,187 in Fiscal 2006.  Impact Schools experienced a 24% reduction in major felony crime during the same period.
  • Parent coordinators continue to provide more assistance: Parent coordinators assigned to the public schools responded to over 1,370,000 phone calls, an increase of 30% compared to the previous year.  Parents receiving assistance from coordinators on a walk-in basis rose by 19%, while parent attendance at parent coordinator workshops grew by 4%.
  • 100% of teachers in City schools are certified: For the first time, every teacher in City schools is certified, compared with 98.8% last year.
  • Expansion of school space continues: Through new construction, leasing and space conversion, the Department of Education and the School Construction Authority provided 4,903 new student seats for the start of the 2006-07 School Year.  A total of 4,143 and 13,834 new seats are planned for the 2007-08 and 2008-09 School Years respectively.

Human Services

  • Indicators of the homeless population declined: The second citywide Homeless Outreach Population Estimate (HOPE) showed a 13% drop in the estimated number of unsheltered individuals living in New York City, from 4,395 to 3,843.  Average daily census figures in the City’s homeless shelters also fell, declining by 8% for families and by 6% for single adults.
  • The number of single adults placed into permanent housing continued to increase, while family placements fell:  Placements of homeless single adults into permanent housing grew in Fiscal 2006 to 7,494, 15% more than the prior year.  Permanent placements of families declined by 5%, from 6,772 to 6,406.  The Department of Homeless Services is working to obtain more family placements through the new Housing Stability Plus program.
  • Response time to child abuse and neglect reports increased: The percent of abuse and neglect reports responded to within 24 hours by the Administration for Children’s Services fell to 94.2% in Fiscal 2006 from 96.4% in Fiscal 2005, due to a 22% increase in abuse and neglect reports.
  • The foster care population continued to decline: The average number of children in foster care fell to 16,747 in Fiscal 2006 from 18,968 in Fiscal 2005, the lowest level since 1986.
  • The number of children receiving preventative services fell: Due to a temporary decline in the first half of the year the average number of children receiving preventative services fell by 5.5% in FY 2006.  Corrective steps implemented by ACS led to a steady increase since November 2005.  At the close of the year, the number of children served exceeded 28,500, virtually equal to 2005.
  • Public assistance rolls fell to a new low while food stamp enrollment rose: The number of public assistance recipients declined to approximately 393,800 at the close of Fiscal 2006, 5% below the previous year, and the lowest level since 1964.  Food stamp enrollment grew by 1%, to almost 1.1 million recipients, with the fastest growth – nearly 9% in Fiscal 2006 – among people not receiving cash assistance.
  • Day care inspections increased: The number of initial site inspections of day care facilities monitored by the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene rose 46%, from 10,597 to 15,419.  Day Care site complaints received by the Department rose 5% over this period, from 1,435 to 1,508.
  • Additional services for victims of domestic violence were provided: Emergency beds made available for victims of domestic violence by the Human Resources Administration increased from 1,955 to 2,081.  The monthly average of individuals participating in HRA’s nonresidential programs rose from 2,480 in Fiscal 2005 to 2,879 in Fiscal 2006, and has nearly doubled since Fiscal 2002.


Health

  • The infant mortality rate declined again: The rate of infant deaths per thousand live births dropped from 6.1 in Calendar 2004 to 6.0 in Calendar 2005.  The Department of Health and Mental Hygiene continues to focus efforts to combat infant mortality in the City’s neighborhoods with highest mortality rates.
  • Childhood asthma indicators improved: The hospitalization rate for asthma among children aged 0-14 declined by 17%, from 6.5 per 1,000 children to 5.4 in Calendar 2005. The Department of Health and Mental Hygiene increased its efforts to combat childhood asthma through a variety of community- and school-based programs.  The rate of pediatric asthma emergency room revisits in the City’s public hospitals decreased from 3.5% in Calendar 2004 to 3.3% in Calendar 2005.
  • Lead poisoning cases showed an overall decline: From Fiscal 2005 to Fiscal 2006 the number of new lead poisoning cases with blood lead levels greater than or equal to 10 micrograms per deciliter declined by approximately 15% among children less than 18 years old, and by 14% for those aged 6 months to less than 6 years.  The number of children requiring environmental intervention for lead poisoning in Fiscal 2006 was 898, a slight decrease from 902 cases requiring environmental intervention in the previous year.
  • AIDS cases showed a moderate decrease: An estimated 4,132 new adult cases of AIDS were diagnosed in Calendar 2005, 192 less than the previous year, and over 1,000 fewer than in Calendar 2001.  DOHMH expanded HIV testing to over 150,000 New Yorkers in Fiscal 2006, largely through efforts to increase the availability of HIV Rapid Tests.
  • The rising trend in syphilis cases was reversed: Syphilis cases fell by 9% in Fiscal 2006, from 646 to 586, due to a concentrated, multi-faceted approach that included efforts to increase case-finding, and heighten community involvement and awareness about the need for screening and symptom recognition.
  • Tobacco use increased slightly: The proportion of adult New Yorkers who smoke was 18.9% in Calendar 2005, a slight increase from the prior year.  The rate remains lower than at any time prior to 2004.  DOHMH will continue to help New Yorkers quit smoking and advocate for an increase in the cigarette excise tax.
  • Tuberculosis reached a historic low: A total of 984 TB cases were reported in New York City in Calendar 2005, 5% less than the prior year and a 74% overall decrease from the most recent peak in 1992.

Economy

  • Unemployment dropped and central business district occupancy rate increased:  The City’s unemployment rate fell to 5.5% from 6.1% last year.  The commercial occupancy rate in the City’s central business district rose to 91.7% from 89.9% in Fiscal 2005.  
  • The New Housing Marketplace Plan was expanded:  The City’s plan to create and preserve affordable housing was expanded from a five-year to a ten-year plan, and the goal increased to 165,000 units.  Total housing starts neared 46,000 units at the end of the reporting period, almost 12% or 5,000 units more than originally planned.
  • Construction activity continued to grow:  The number of building permits issued by the City grew by over 6%, from 110,058 in Fiscal 2006 to 116,947 in Fiscal 2006.  With the exception of Staten Island, all boroughs showed increased construction activity.  The Department of Buildings also conducted 209,066 construction inspections in Fiscal 2006, up from 188,561 the prior year.
  • Response times to building complaints exceeded performance goals:  Despite an increase of more than 24,000 complaints, the Department of Buildings responded to 95.4% of emergency complaints within 1.5 days and 88.2% of non-emergencies within 40 days, better than the established targets.  
  • Newly certified Minority and Women Owned Enterprise Businesses reached an all time high:  The number of newly certified businesses participating in the Department of Small Business Services’ Minority and Women Owned Business Enterprise Program grew from 364 in Fiscal 2005 to 379, and by the end of the fiscal year there were a total of 1,035 participating businesses.
  • Economic development policies are contributing to the renaissance of Lower Manhattan: The Job Creation and Retention Program, established after the September 11th attacks has been successful in stabilizing and augmenting the job base and in diversifying the Lower Manhattan economy.  Since 2002 the City and State have secured commitments from 79 large corporations to retain and create over 76,000 jobs in Lower Manhattan through this program.






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