Statement by Speaker Christine C. Quinn:
“This Council is committed to reaching a responsible, balanced budget that protects the vital services New Yorkers depend on. We look forward to working with Mayor Bloomberg to ensure that a fair and balanced budget is reached on time and truly meets New Yorkers’ needs.
“The Council has serious concerns about the negative consequences reflected as a result of the absence of a deal on teacher evaluations. A further failure to strike a deal would be potentially devastating to our city’s students.
“As I’ve said before, it is imperative that all relevant parties get back into the room and reach a deal as soon as possible so that the city is not subjected to an even greater loss in vital funding that our children’s educations and futures depend on.
“The Council has a strong record of preventing teacher layoffs and limiting the effects of attrition in the city’s workforce. While some level of attrition is always a reality, the Mayor’s proposed extreme high levels of teacher attrition would be detrimental to the quality of our city’s education system. The Council will work with all stakeholders to ensure that excessive attrition of front line education staff is limited and that the necessary level of staff is maintained. When difficult funding decisions need to be made, our classrooms are the absolute last place that should be cut.
“The Council is also concerned that the proposed budget would again result in the closure of 20 fire houses, along with cuts to after-school programs, among other areas. As we have said before, we are fully committed to protecting the essential services that New Yorkers depend on.
“Today’s budgetary proposals will be fully examined and debated at Council budget hearings, scheduled to begin the week of March 4th.”
Statement by Finance Chair Domenic M. Recchia, Jr.:
“Today’s Preliminary Budget reflects years of responsible fiscal management, which I am pleased have allowed us to avoid proposed tax increases.
“Of significant concern, however, is the financial impact that the City will face if an agreement is not reached on teacher evaluations. The fact that the Mayor’s proposal suggests that our children will face cuts to art and music programs, counseling services, and extracurricular activities is deeply troubling. Our children and schools need to be our top priority and should not suffer as a result of the current stalemate.
“Another concern is that this Budget again proposes closing fire companies—we should have learned from our experience with Sandy that we have no slack capacity in our emergency response capability.
“In the coming months, I look forward to working with my colleagues on the City Council as well as with the Mayor to secure a fair budget that prioritizes the needs of New Yorkers while making prudent investments in the future of the City.”
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