Release #050-99

Contact: Colleen Roche/Curt Ritter (212) 788-2958

Reductions in Crime and Growth in Economy Outpace National Averages
City Schools are Stronger and More Accountable
City's Economy Shows Record Job Gains
Welfare Rolls Are At a 31-Year Low

"This Preliminary Mayor's Management Report portrays a City government that has produced successes in areas critical to the well-being of all New Yorkers," said Mayor Giuliani. "Our goal now is to make these successes permanent.

"New York City is safer, cleaner, healthier and economically stronger than it has been in years. Crime has fallen to its lowest levels in over 30 years, with murder at a 36-year low. City welfare rolls have been decreased by more than 457,200 -- to levels not seen since 1967. We've cut taxes by more than $2 billion since 1994 and today New York City serves as an example to cities across the country that innovative management reforms and increased agency accountability can turn a City around.

The Mayor added, "Since 1994 the City has created 293,000 new jobs, regaining almost 95% of the jobs lost during prior administrations. The cleanliness ratings of our streets, parks and playgrounds are at their highest levels ever. Business recruitment and retention agreements have helped to secure New York City's status as the Business and Financial Capital of the World.

"New Yorkers should be proud of their City and the fact that New York is no longer known nationally for its failures but, rather, for its successes," the Mayor concluded.

PUBLIC SAFETY

New York City's dramatic reduction in crime is continuing. The Administration's efforts to reduce violent crime, bolstered by citywide narcotics initiatives, resulted in an 18% reduction in homicides from Calendar Year (CY) 1997 to 1998. Narcotics initiatives helped bring about a 22.4% drop in shooting incidents in Southeast Queens and a 27.6% drop in the South Bronx. Since the introduction of the narcotics initiatives in 1996, overall narcotics arrests have increased 21% to 124,000. In addition to the significant reduction in violent crime, property crime has also been reduced to record lows. For example, since 1993, car thefts have been reduced by 61%. Other significant findings include:

• Overall crime has fallen to the lowest levels since 1968, when modern reporting methods were instituted. According to the FBI, New York City is, again, the safest large city in America.
• In 1998, murder plummeted to a 36-year low and has declined 68% since 1993.
• Subway felony complaints decreased by 23.2% from 1997 to 1998.
• Major felony complaints in NYC Housing Developments decreased by 20% from CY 1995 to 1998.
• Incidents of violence in City jails have been reduced by 92% since July-October 1994, and by 51% since last year alone.

Traffic safety and traffic mitigation initiatives undertaken by the Police Department and the Department of Transportation in 1998 contributed to enhanced public safety, with pedestrian deaths declining by 30% and traffic-related deaths by 27%.

Since the introduction of the JFK Airport flat fare in June 1996, Taxi and Limousine Commission records show that complaints of overcharging have decreased 34%.

EDUCATION

School Year 1998-99 was a watershed year for the development and implementation of major improvements in public education. The School Construction Authority (SCA) continued to improve its performance record. Along with the Board of Education, the SCA created 97,297 new seats for the school years 1994-1999, exceeding new enrollment during the same period by 10,651 seats. By comparison, the creation of new seats from 1990 to 1993 fell 58,639 seats short of new enrollment over that period. Improvements in the SCA's management and accountability have also led to more timely and higher-quality work. The percent of construction projects completed on time or early has risen from only 14% in FY 1995 to 56% in 1998.

Project Smart Schools, a Mayoral initiative introduced in 1997, saw more than 4,000 computers installed in 1,095 classrooms during the period covered by the Report. By the end of August 1999, Project Smart Schools is expected to reach more than 90,000 New York City schoolchildren.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

The momentum of economic growth in New York City continued at an unprecedented rate. Private sector employment grew by more than 84,000 jobs in CY 1998, the greatest annual employment gain since the Federal Bureau of Labor Statistics began compiling employment data in 1950. With these additional jobs, New York City has now created almost 293,000 jobs since 1994 and regained almost 95% of the jobs that were lost in prior administrations.

New York City's annual average growth in private employment from 1997 to 1998 was 2.9%, compared with a national growth rate of 2.8%. Excluding the City, New York State's growth rate was just 1.3%.

• Key job-generating industries, including entertainment, tourism, real estate and construction are showing strong signs of growth.
• The total market value of taxable real estate properties rose by 4.4% in FY 1999.
• The number of building permits issued rose from 67,298 in CY 1997 to 74,328 in 1998 -- a 12% increase.
• Visitors came to New York City in record numbers in 1998, with more than 34 million tourists visiting the five boroughs, adding an estimated $14.3 billion to the City's economy.

HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

One of the Administration's highest priorities has been to help New Yorkers move from a life of dependency to self-sufficiency. As a result of the City's welfare reform initiative more than 457,200 people have moved off public assistance -- with more than 200,000 people having gone through the Work Experience Program. The City's welfare rolls are at their lowest level since November 1967-- falling from a high of almost 1.2 million people in March 1995 to 703,400 in January 1999.

Improving the quality of health care for all New Yorkers remains a top priority. The Health and Hospitals Corporation continues to streamline operations while improving the quality of care.

• Comparing July-October 1992 to the same period in 1998, the average hospital stay has been reduced by 24% - from 15.5 to 11.8 days.
• Average daily hospital census fell by 21% as utilization of home care has increased by more than 172% since 1992.
• The average waiting time for mammography screening appointments has fallen from 15 days in 1995, to 5 days in 1998.
• The number of new AIDS cases declined by 39% from CY 1994 to 1998, while new cases of tuberculosis have declined by over 47% during the same period.
• New lead poisoning cases declined by 39% from July - October 1995 to July - October 1998 (falling from 840 to 516).

The Administration for Children's Services remains committed to the protection of our City's most vulnerable citizens. Child support collections totaled $119 million from July to October 1998, and are on a pace to exceed last year's record rate. The foster care population fell by 3.7% (or approximately 1,500 children) from July to October of 1998, following a drop in reports of child abuse and neglect (approximately 1,000 fewer cases).

The Giuliani Administration's commitment to immigrants - the newest New Yorkers - was stronger than ever. The number of people participating in Citywide immigration programs, including legal services, English-as-a-second language instruction and domestic violence assistance programs, grew by 25% from July-October 1997 compared to the same period in 1998.

INFRASTRUCTURE AND COMMUNITY SERVICES

As the City prepares for the new Millennium, the Administration will commit to strengthening the City's economy by continuing to emphasize infrastructure rehabilitation. The Mayor noted in his recent Financial Plan that $11.9 billion would be devoted to improving the City's transportation, mass transit, water and sewer and sanitation systems.

Significant findings in the area of infrastructure include:

• DOT's Fall 1998 pothole blitz filled nearly 30,000 potholes, exceeding its plan of 28,000.
• The number of potholes fixed within 30 days has risen from 26% in FY 1997 to almost 60% in the first four months of FY 1999.
• All 59 Sanitation Districts were rated acceptably clean during the reporting period.
• Almost 86% of City streets were rated acceptably clean during the first half of FY 1999, the highest six-month rating ever. Street cleanliness ratings during the first half of FY 1999 were the highest since the rating system was introduced in 1974.
• 95% of the City's parks and playgrounds were rated acceptably clean, while ratings of the parks' overall condition were at their highest since the current rating system was implemented in Spring 1992.

In a continuing effort to improve the delivery of services to its customers, the Department of Environmental Protection reduced the backlog of sewer repairs by more than two-thirds from July-October 1995 to the same period in 1998. The Department of Buildings performed 16% more inspections from July-October 1997 to the same time frame in 1998, and issued 10% more violations from illegal conversion inspections over the same period.

• As the number of inspections for tobacco sales to minors increased dramatically from 1995 to 1998, fines levied against merchants increased from $14,985 to $446,000 during the same period.
• The percentage of merchants making illegal tobacco sales to minors decreased from 51% in April 1998 to 17% in September.

The Department of Design and Construction (DDC) has succeeded in turning around the City's core infrastructure building and maintenance programs. The Department's on-time project performance rose from 79% during July-October 1997 to 84% during the same period in 1998.

• The average duration for DDC construction projects decreased from 281 days to 180 days (or 36%) from July-October 1997 to July-October 1998.
• Projects completed by the DDC-Structures Division increased 78% (from 99 to 176) during that same period.

In conclusion, the Mayor said, "The Mayor's Management Report has played an important role in these achievements by helping to ensure that all City agencies remain accountable and results-oriented. While the Report makes it clear that the City has come a long way toward providing the services New Yorkers deserve, there is still much to be done. I look forward to working with the City Council and all New Yorkers to meet this challenge."