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Yonkers City Council Approves $991 Million Budget On Time

YONKERS, N.Y. – With just hours to spare before its Saturday deadline, Yonkers City Council unanimously adopted a $991 million budget Friday, the first budget to be passed on time in more than a quarter century. 

Yonkers City Council unanimously approved the 2014 fiscal year budget Friday, the first time a budget has been passed on time in more than 25 years.

Yonkers City Council unanimously approved the 2014 fiscal year budget Friday, the first time a budget has been passed on time in more than 25 years.

Photo Credit: File

As part of the approved plan, which includes no layoffs and increases funding to city schools, the average homeowner will see their taxes increase roughly $142 in the upcoming fiscal year.

Included in the spending plan is a dedication of $461 million to municipal expenses and nearly $530 million to city schools, an increase of $17 million from the current year.

Council members also outlined a proposal Friday that would free up funds to restore junior varsity sports, music and arts programs, ideas that seemed bleak just weeks ago, by shifting more than $3 million for textbooks and other school equipment into the capitol budget.

“We know there are a lot of parents concerned about education and we heard the clarion call about art, music, sports and JV programs,” City Council President Chuck Lesnick said.

City officials said they were also prepared to restore full day prekindergarten to Yonkers Public Schools but due to increases in school enrollment and limited facilities capacity, the Board of Education informed the city it was unable to house a full-day program.

City officials said they have asked Superintendent of Schools Bernard Pierorazio to conduct a space assessment report by August 30 to determine the schools’ facilities needs in an effort to continue working to restore the full day program.

On the municipal side, the approved budget includes the addition of 24 city jobs while keeping all departments and city services intact.

“When I took office, I said I wanted to end the year-to-year budget crises in Yonkers,” Mayor Mike Spano said in a statement. “We’ve gotten through this budget by working together, solving problems and putting Yonkers first -- without layoffs and without cuts to services, all while restoring educational programs and staying within the property tax cap.”

Meanwhile, in order to bridge a projected $86 million gap, the budget, among other things, uses the state’s pension smoothing plan to defer $32 million in pension costs. In addition, the city and the Board of Education will tap into their fund balances, utilizing a total of $39 million.

City officials said it wasn’t an ideal situation but it was necessary.

“Looking at budget we still have some issues we have to deal with in the City of Yonkers but we can move forward with this budget,” said City Councilman and Budget Committee Chairman Christopher Johnson.

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