Ex-punk rocker City Council Member Justin Brannan (D-Brooklyn) is going back on tour — this time to hear directly from New Yorkers on how the city should spend billions of taxpayer dollars, amNewYork Metro has learned.
In the new year, Brannan says he will host a “listening tour” as part of his bid to be the next city comptroller, a watchdog role overseeing the Big Apple’s finances. He will announce the tour in an online video being released Monday.
The council member also rolled out an online survey on Dec. 30, asking five borough residents both for their feedback on how the city allocates its massive $115 billion budget and more general questions on the quality of city services.
Brannan, who chairs the council’s powerful Finance Committee, says in the video that New Yorkers are still struggling to make ends meet even with a booming national economy.
“New York City is not broke; our current budget is $115 billion. We just need to get our priorities straight and ensure that every dime helps make life easier for New Yorkers,” Brannan says in the video, viewed by amNewYork Metro.
On his listening tour, Brannan says he will be hitting bars, coffee shops, and even people’s living rooms across the five boroughs to get their perspective on where their tax dollars should go.
“I want to hear your ideas, your stories, and your vision,” he says.
The online survey asks respondents to pick three areas of city services where they would like to see the greatest budget investments. The list includes categories like affordable housing development, public safety, and sanitation.
The form also poses more general questions, such as how satisfied survey takers are with the quality of city services in their neighborhoods and their top priorities for improving their communities.
“New Yorkers are the smartest, toughest, most creative people on the planet. But it shouldn’t be so damn hard to get by in the richest city in the world,” he says.
Brannan, who has represented part of southern Brooklyn in the council since 2017, is no stranger to haggling over how much money the city has in its coffers and where it should be spent.
As council Finance Chair, Brannan has endured three hard-fought budget cycles with Mayor Eric Adams’ administration. During those often contentious negotiations, he advocated for restoring broadly popular services and programs—like libraries and Universal Pre-K—cut by City Hall.
Brannan, who is term-limited in the council at the end of 2025, launched his bid for comptroller in August, shortly after the position’s current occupant — Brad Lander — announced his own run for mayor.
In addition to Brannan, the field so far includes Assembly Member Jenifer Rajkumar (D-Queens), a close ally of Mayor Adams, and Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine.
