NEW YORK (AP) - New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio (dih BLAH’-zee-oh) is creating a new post in his senior administration to help push for universal pre-kindergarten.
The deputy mayor for strategic planning initiatives will direct de Blasio’s signature proposal: to provide full-day pre-kindergarten to every child in the city.
De Blasio wants to pay for the program by raising taxes on those who make more than $500,000 a year.
But he needs approval from Albany. And Gov. Andrew Cuomo has instead proposed finding money in the state budget to fund the plan.
De Blasio named Richard Buery (BWEHR’-ee) to fill the new post. He was previously at the Brennan Center for Justice, a non-partisan public policy and law institute.
The mayor says he’ll soon be appointing more people to his slow-building administration.
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