De Blasio’s Choice for NYC Budget Chief Brings Albany Experience

New York Mayor-elect Bill de Blasio’s choice of Dean Fuleihan as budget director may bolster his relationship with state lawmakers, who must approve his signature plan to fund early-childhood education.

De Blasio, a Democrat who takes office Jan. 1, needs the legislature’s backing to raise income taxes on the city’s wealthiest residents, a cornerstone of his proposal to create universal pre-kindergarten and after-school programs. Fuleihan, 62, spent more than 30 years in Albany, including 16 as a policy adviser to Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver. He also was the chamber’s chief staff negotiator for the state’s $130 billion budget.