The plan "seeks to bamboozle with the budget to disguise the paucity of both commitments and detail," said the Social Democrats' spokesman on public expenditure, Cian O'Callaghan.
"While periodic work has been done to keep these buildings occupiable, neither building has seen a comprehensive renovation since they were first constructed."
The city has been experiencing a structural deficit, projected to peak at nearly $2 million in 2029 or $6 million in 2035 due to growing pension liabilities and unfunded capital projects.
Council Member Robert Holden has criticized Council Speaker Adrienne Adams and Finance Chair Justin Brannan for not allocating extra funds for veterans in the FY2026 Budget, despite increased funding for other city services.
Cabinet minister Pat McFadden emphasized that Labour will adhere to its tax commitments, refusing to consider increases in income tax, National Insurance, or VAT, stating, "We will keep to the tax promises that we made in our manifesto."
Today was just a public hearing for us to hear from the community. I know some of you were with us last night for our budget study session. We will continue our budget town halls and study sessions along the way, with more opportunities to clarify some of these proposals and continue to hear from the public.