Fire Units, Libraries In Danger Of Closure
Funding cuts proposed in the executive budget unveiled by Mayor Michael Bloomberg last Thursday, May 3 could lead to the closure of up to 20 Fire Department units citywide, the elimination of after-school and day care programs and the decimation of the Queens Borough Public Library, according to statements from several local lawmakers.
The $68.7 billion plan “won’t impose any new taxes on New Yorkers, maintains the strength of the NYPD and continues our strong support of public schools,” Bloomberg said last Thursday. “We’re able to make all of those commitments as a result of years of fiscal care, foresight and a constructive partnership with the city Council, as we began setting aside savings and reducing spending well before most other city and state governments heeded the economic storm warnings.”
Several City Council members from Queens and City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, however, warned that the proposal included reductions in programs which millions of city residents rely upon every day and jeopardizes public safety as well as the quality of life.
“Let me be clear-although I am grateful for the progress we’ve seen in the mayor’s executive budget, I still have deep concerns about how the remaining cuts will impact the lives of working New Yorkers and their families,” Quinn said. “As we always have, the Council will work in the coming weeks to ensure adoption of a budget for fiscal year 2013 that protects the most vulnerable, ensures public safety and provides all of our citizens with the kind of city in which they can flourish.”
Reductions in funding for the Fire Department in the mayor’s executive budget would result in the shutdown of 20 Fire Department companies citywide, according to reports. Quinn charged that the potential elimination of these units is “needlessly endangering our city’s public safety.”
“Closing even a single fire company in New York City will lead to increased response times, more fire fatalities and millions of dollars in property damage,” City Council Member Elizabeth Crowley, chair of the Fire and Criminal Justice Committee, added. “We simply cannot accept a budget proposal that puts the safety of New Yorkers in jeopardy.”
In recent budget cycles, Mayor Bloomberg had proposed eliminating up to 20 Fire Department units, but those plans were ultimately scrapped through negotiations with the City Council.
Last May, the Fire Department published a list of 20 companies it intended to close, which included several units serving the Times Newsweekly’s coverage area. Among those on the chopping block at that time were Engine Co. 294 in Richmond Hill, Ladder Co. 128 in Long Island City, Engine Co. 306 in East Williamsburg and Engine Co. 218 in Bushwick.
As of press time, the Fire Department has yet to identify which companies, if any, are marked for elimination. By law, the FDNY must provide public notice of a unit’s closure no fewer than 45 days in advance.
“We believe we can keep this city safe,” Bloomberg was quoted as saying when asked about the potential loss of Fire Department units through the budget cuts.
Quinn added that the budget plan advocated by the mayor would result in “unacceptable cuts” to youth programs such as EarlyLearn and Outof School Time, including the elimination of 8,200 child care program seats. Should these cuts be enacted, Quinn stated, it would result in “tremendous disruptions for families, communities and providers.”
Echoing those sentiments was City Council Member Karen Koslowitz, chair of the Council’s Economic Development Committee, who stated that the cuts “will directly impact parents who rely on these programs to provide a safe place for their children after school while they are at work.”
“If parents are forced to cut their hours, many may have to depend on public assistance,” she said in a statement. “Additionally, we risk harming our children if we take away vital services that provide a safe, inclusive and supportive culture of learning and cognitive development.”
The Queens Borough Public Library also faces a planned $26.7 million reduction in funding in the mayor’s proposal, according to a press release from the library system. If the funding is not restored, 18 branches could be permanently closed, most other branches would only be open two or three days a week and more than 600 jobs may be eliminated.
“Queens Library connects the community to education, technology, culture and vital services. New Yorkers need public library doors open,” said Queens Library President and CEO Thomas W. Galante. “We need the budget cut restored and we need it included in future city budgets so we can turn our full attention to serving the community.”
City Council Member Jimmy Van Bramer, chair of the Council’s Cultural Affairs Committee, stated that the mayor’s plan results in over $100 million in lost funding for the city’s three library systems and over $50 million in reductions in funds for other cultural institutions such as museums and zoos.
“A dramatic slash in funding would only cripple two of the most vital sources of educational and cultural programming for children in the city,” Van Bramer said. “Such cuts would decimate library hours, devastate nearly 1,000 nonprofit cultural groups and lead to over 1,000 layoffs of hardworking New Yorkers.”
Bloomberg stated that his executive budget plan reduces controllable expenses by $110 million and reflects a $1.9 billion increase in the city’s pension, health care, Medicaid and debt service expenses. Funds saved from previous budgets, as well as a higher-than-expected increase in tax revenue, thwarted more severe cuts in the budget, he added.
The mayor and the City Council have until June 30 to negotiate and approve a balanced budget for the 2013 fiscal year, which takes effect on July 1. Bloomberg warned that the city still faces budget gaps of at least $3 billion in each of the next three fiscal years.
