While chaos has reigned supreme in Albany for the past week, city leaders quietly reached a budget agreement – two weeks before deadline – that will prevent the shuttering of firehouses and keep six-day library service at the locations where it currently exists.
On Monday night, June 15, Mayor Michael Bloomberg and City Council Speaker Christine Quinn announced the $59.4 billion budget, which includes a cumulative total of more than $3 billion in agency gap-closings that began 18 months ago, using surpluses saved from periods of economic growth and healthcare savings reached through an agreement with the Municipal Labor Committee.
“Just like every family that is tightening their belt during these tough times, we are reducing city spending while still protecting the core services that so many New Yorkers rely on – and that keep our city so strong,” Bloomberg said.
Meanwhile, the fiscal year (FY) 2010 budget agreement still requires Albany to approve a .5 percent increase in city sales tax and other tax changes, which would raise an additional $887 million for the city.
“Balancing this budget required everyone to be a part of the solution, and now the only remaining piece of the puzzle is getting cooperation from the state,” Bloomberg said in a statement. “It is imperative that our leaders in Albany come to an agreement to pass bills that will allow this budget to go into effect.”
During the announcement, Speaker Quinn praised the efforts of the Mayor’s office as well as those in the City Council for “keeping the needs of New Yorkers first and being committed to keeping progress and forward motion for our city at all times.”
Quinn also spoke about preserving staff at the city’s Administration for Child Services and keeping open the firehouses and libraries being among the greatest strengths of the budget.
“New Yorkers need to know that they are protected, that they have resources like libraries in this time of need,” Quinn said during the announcement.
The entire City Council is expected to vote on and the majority of the Council is expected to approve the budget on Thursday, June 18.
Looking ahead to FY 2011, Bloomberg said that although some financial experts are predicting the economy to rebound, he cautioned that the city was already facing about a $5 million projected deficit.
