Gotham Gazette

The Place for New York Policy and politics

Department of Citywide Administrative Services

Department of Citywide Administrative Services

  • Amid Debate Over Agency Vacancies, NYC Government Workforce Report More Than Two Years Late

    On the job (photo: Michael Appleton/Mayor's Office)


    The New York City Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) is preparing to publish its latest annual workforce report, which details the demographics of the city government’s massive workforce and trends in employee turnover. But the report is already obsolete, given it is to cover the 2020 fiscal year, which ended June 30, 2020, at the height of the pandemic, and will fail to shine a light on how the municipal workforce has changed in the last two years.

    DCAS’ report, which was most recently published last year and covered the

    ...
  • New York City Covid Spending Tops $4 Billion, Virtually All Covered by Federal Funds

    4 city has billions

    Mayor de Blasio inspects school cleaning (photo: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office)


    The COVID-19 pandemic has cost more than $4 billion in direct New York City expenses through mid-October, almost all of which the city expects to pay for with federal dollars.

    Of the total spending, $4.08 billion has been registered in contracts, according to a report from City Comptroller Scott Stringer. Almost two-thirds of that

    ...
  • De Blasio Administration Opposes Council Bill to Create 'City Restart Officer'

    de Blasio city hall reopening govt

    Mayor de Blasio at City Hall (photo: Michael Appleton/Mayor's Office)


    Brooklyn City Council Member Laurie Cumbo, a Democrat and the Council’s Majority Leader, wants to establish a new position in city government to oversee the reopening of city government after the coronavirus shutdown. Her bill (Intro. 1950) would create and require the position of “City Restart

    ...
  • Immense Change for City Agency Tasked with Bulk of Coronavirus Response Spending, Government Workforce Shift

    proj pantry si

    Mayor de Blasio checking in on emergency efforts (photo: Ed Reed/Mayor's Office)


    More than two months after New York officials raised alarms that the state could run out of life-saving equipment, from ventilators to rubber gloves, New York City is one purchase order away from having a 90-day worst-case-scenario stockpile of medical equipment, officials said Wednesday.

    New York City Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) Commissioner Lisette Camilo told lawmakers the purchase order for ventilators was "in flight" at a City Council hearing on the agency's

    ...
  • First City Agency Workplace-Climate Survey Under New Law Raises Questions, Concerns

    cm francisco moya

    (photo: Jeff Reed/City Council)


    Last year, amid a national awakening about sexual harassment spurred by the #MeToo movement, the New York City Council passed a package of legislation. Among other things, it required the city to disclose more data about harassment claims and to undertake workplace climate surveys about harassment, discrimination, and other issues in order to create action plans and make improvements.

    But the first climate survey results were recently delivered to the City Council and do not contain enough information to illuminate how

    ...
  • Government Operations Budget Hearing Leaves Several Questions Unanswered

    DCAS testimony May 13

    DCAS testimony (photo: William Alatriste)


    With four agencies testifying over the course of several hours, a Friday executive budget hearing held by the City Council’s governmental operations committee, along with the finance committee, had a lot of ground to cover on important issues like election administration and law department function. Two of the agencies testifying have even been sources of controversy in recent months and the hearing was an opportunity for Council members to air their concerns and get some answers. At many points during the hearing, however,

    ...