Policymakers, community leaders and Brooklynites packed the Beaux-Arts Court at the Brooklyn Museum in Prospect Heights on Thursday evening, where Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso delivered his fourth State of the Borough address, highlighting his administration’s accomplishments in 2025 and outlining his vision for the borough in the year ahead.
The evening began with performances by Jouvay Fest Collective and 2J & Friends, followed by the national anthem by the Brooklyn School for Music and Theatre choir and a multi-faith invocation led by Deputy Borough President Kim Council, Rabbi Aaron Raskin and Imam Ahmad Abu Ubayda.
New York State Attorney General Letitia James and New York City Comptroller Mark Levine introduced the Brooklyn Beep, praising his leadership and commitment to the borough.
“Antonio is bringing Brooklyn grid to the fight each and every day, because what’s at stake nationally is personal here in Brooklyn, and so when we say all roads lead to Brooklyn, we are really saying something more, that the path forward for this country runs through communities like this one,” James said. “Antonio will lead us the way, fighting to ensure everyone in this world has the opportunity and the joy that they deserve because that, my friends, is the Brooklyn way.”
Levine, who served with Reynoso on the City Council, said he recognized that “spark of talent and passion” when Reynoso first ran in 2013.
“In a business full of politicians who love to perform for the cameras and love to spin and dance around the facts and pander, we have a leader like Antonio Reynoso who does not have a fake bone in his body. Antonio Reynoso is the real deal, heart and soul, authentic, fearless, not afraid of a fight, and he has been able to lead now with that spirit for Brooklyn in so many powerful ways,” Levine said.
Reynoso, who is running for the 7th Congressional District, highlighted major investments made during his tenure, including $30 million for housing, $76 million for schools and $45 million for maternal health care, as well as the launch of Brooklyn’s first comprehensive plan for long-term, equitable growth.
“Over the past four years, when our communities called, you answered, you showed up, and the results speak for themselves. We worked to invest millions into the borough’s mothers and families. We worked to deliver 1000s of new homes for Brooklynites, and we worked to unlock more opportunities for Brooklyn in every single corner of this borough,” Reynoso said, emphasizing that Brooklyn is a place “where everyone belongs.”
After taking office in 2021, Reynoso set a goal of making Brooklyn — which has the highest Black maternal mortality rate — the safest place for Black women to give birth. He dedicated his first full fiscal year’s budget to renovating labor and delivery units in public hospitals.
His office also launched a Maternal Health Task Force, a community baby shower fund, the “Born in Brooklyn” baby box program and partnered with Brooklyn College to develop an Advanced Certificate in Perinatal Mental Health.
“We did that because we want people to know that we are their village. You can be alone here in Brooklyn, but you’re not lonely. We show up,” Reynoso said.
He also emphasized education investments, including $9.25 million for 18 sensory rooms in District 75 schools — one of his largest single investments as borough president.
“Every school should be equipped to support your children. It doesn’t matter how much money you have or what community you come from; all of our students deserve the best. Everyone belongs in Brooklyn, and that means we deliver the resources our people need from the very beginning,” Reynoso said, noting his opposition to the closure of four child care centers.
Reynoso said affordability remains a central challenge. His administration has targeted deed theft, supported affordable housing development and allocated more than $30 million in capital funding for housing construction. The office also approved more than $12 million in affordable housing units and launched the “Divine Dwellings” initiative, partnering with faith-based organizations to create housing on their properties.
He also worked with Council Member Crystal Hudson to introduce the Tenant Relocation Act, which provides financial assistance to displaced tenants.
“We cannot talk about housing without talking about tenants; nearly 70% of Brooklynites, like me, are renters, and all people deserve access to safe, dignified housing,” Reynoso said. “Because if our neighbors are displaced through no fault of their own, they shouldn’t be hung out to dry. New York City should have their back, and now we do.”
Last year, his office released an updated “Comprehensive Plan for Brooklyn,” expanding its analysis of disparities in education, parks, jobs, transit and health care, along with new policy recommendations.
“It was so good that we received an award from the American Planning Association,” Reynoso said.
On transportation, Reynoso pushed for projects including the 14-mile-long Brooklyn-Queens Interborough Express (IBX) and said he is working with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to redesign Brooklyn’s bus network to improve speed and reliability, including dedicated bus lanes and improved connections.
“When we invest in our infrastructure, we’re investing in the things that connect our communities and our neighbors, and in Brooklyn, community has always come to life through music, fashion, visual art, and storytelling born in our neighborhoods,” Reynoso said.
Hailing the borough’s cultural influence, Reynoso said Borough Hall has become a hub for creative communities. His office launched the Arts Ambassador initiative, naming Colm Dillane as the first ambassador, and hosted the “People’s Runway” during New York Fashion Week, which Complex Magazine named its best runway show.
Reynoso also unveiled a new Brooklyn lapel pin designed by 17-year-old Brighton Beach resident Mellina Melezhik, winner of the 2026 Brooklyn Pin Design Competition, and announced Asad Dandia as the borough’s next historian.
“[Art] shows up in our neighborhoods, the clothes that we wear, and the stories that they tell. It shows up in our celebrations,” Reynoso said.
He also announced funding for Coney Island USA to ensure the continuation of the Coney Island Mermaid Parade, one of the borough’s most beloved traditions currently in financial need.
“Tonight I’m incredibly, incredibly proud to announce that my office is allocating funding to Coney Island, USA, to keep the tradition alive,” Reynoso said.
Addressing immigration and the current administration’s recent attacks on communities of color, Reynoso criticized federal policies and highlighted local efforts, including a Satellite Asylum Application Help Center that has assisted 6,000 asylum seekers in obtaining work authorization, as well as support for temporary protected status for Haitian residents.
He also announced a new campaign, “Our City, Our Sanctuary,” a digital resource hub providing information on immigrant rights, legal assistance and reporting misconduct. His office is also hosting Know Your Rights and ICE awareness trainings across the borough.
“Too many of our neighbors are living in fear, trying to figure out how to protect themselves and their families,” Reynoso said. “But in the face of Trump’s xenophobia, his fear-mongering, his violence, Brooklyn turned struggle into solidarity.”
