Contact: Steven Tvert
Steven.Tvert@YonkersNY.gov
914.377.6318
Yonkers City Council Republicans Support Hiring Freeze in Light of Budget Crunch
Republicans join Democrats in calling for Immediate Action
(Yonkers, NY- April 3, 2018) The Republican Members of the Yonkers City Council today joined their Democratic counterparts in supporting an immediate City hiring freeze, noting that the lack of assistance in the new State budget leaves Yonkers with a massive deficit.
"The State failed us once again," said Minority Leader Michael Breen, "While our state senators and assembly members were voting for a budget that contained an additional $12 million to close Albany's budget gap, they failed to put an extra nickel in for the City of Yonkers to meet its own needs."
Breen was referring to a special appropriation in the just-passed State budget that contained $12 million in funding above the regular formula to help Albany close its projected $12.5 million budget gap. The $12.5 million was needed to balance the $176.4 million spending plan, or 7% of Albany's overall City budget. A 7% infusion of aid to Yonkers would equate to $35 million in new money; however, Yonkers also sought additional state aid but received none.
Breen, along with Council members John Rubbo and Anthony Merante, noted that for the 5th year in a row, the State held local assistance flat. "The state increases its own spending year after year. Yonkers has sent $250 million in additional revenue to New York State over the past 5 years yet our aid continues to remain flat," said Rubbo, "I am calling on the City's Union Leaders to call on the State delegation to help save their members."
Saying that they shared the Council Democrats' concern over possible layoffs of police, fire and other essential workers in the next City Budget that begins in July, the Republican members said they agreed that a hiring freeze is needed.
"At a time when the State has frozen our funding, we have no choice but to freeze hiring," said Merante, adding, "Unfortunately it's not likely to be enough to plug the gap. We should be demanding our state representatives to explain why they voted to send millions of additional dollars to Albany, and nothing to Yonkers."
The Republican members concluded by saying, "We stand with our Democratic Council counterparts in acting now to meet the budget crises that the State's inaction is imposing on Yonkers. It's a shame that Albany's representatives in the State Legislature were able to bring home the bacon while our representatives delivered nothing but goose eggs."
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