Saturday, December 27, 2008

Layoffs, program cuts to close $16 million budget gap in Yonkers


YONKERS - Facing what he called one of the toughest challenges of his administration, Yonkers Mayor Philip Amicone Friday announced several program and service cuts along with a six percent workforce reduction that will see 150 full- and part-time city workers lose their jobs as part of an effort to close a projected $16 million budget deficit for the current fiscal year.

The mid-year deficit, which amounts to nearly seven percent of the municipal budget, is so substantial that it can only be closed through workforce reductions after the city had trimmed every department to bare bones levels, the mayor said.

“We are going to be paying off 151 people; 76 are full-time employees. We are not talking about eliminating 76 positions; these are people who work for the city, and 75 part-time employees,” he said. Forty-four vacancies that have occurred this year will not be filled, the mayor said.
Amicone said that the program cuts would mainly affect quality of life services like litter patrols, youth recreation programs and curbside pickup of bulk trash items, among others.

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