$1.3 Billion spending plan for Fiscal Year 2023 an increase of $119 million or 9.32%.
$683 Million for the Yonkers Public Schools
Property Tax Increase of 1.25%, Under Propert Tax Cap
Maintains city services and municipal positions, adds 10 new police officers.
Permanently funds Juneteenth as a City holiday
By Dan Murphy
The Yonkers City Council held a special meeting on May 25 to vote on a $1.3 Billion spending plan for City operations and the Yonkers Public Schools. The Council made several changes to Mayor Mike Spano’s budget proposal before adopting it by a vote of 6-1, with Councilmember Corazon Pineda-Isaac voting no.
The Council reduced the proposed tax increase from just under 3% to 1.25%, and also increased funding to the Yonkers Public Schools by an additional $3 Million. Mayor Spano had already proposed record funding of $680 Million for the YPS, including an additional $20 Million coming from NY State.
City Council President Lakisha Collins-Bellamy, after completing her first City budget as Council President and as Budget Chair, said the spending plan strikes a balance between increased education funding and helping out taxpayers struggling to pay for higher gas and food prices due to inflation. “This was an arduous task but this is what we were all elected to do.”
“We all have our priorities and education is paramount and one of the most important tasks. However it in unconscionable to put an additional burden on the taxpayers. We gave them (YPS) everything they wanted and more.”
“This budget meets our commitment that our children have the best and that families move to Yonkers for our great schools. I’m also glad that we were able to lower the tax increase, for taxpayer facing inflation and gas prices. To add another burden to them did not sit well with me. In the end, we got all that we needed for the residents.”
Councilmember Corazon Pineda-Isaac voted no on the budget and on several other spending items related to the City’s fiscal 2022-23 spending plan that starts July 1. “There are items that I wanted to see in the budget. This budget doesn’t do enough for my first priority, which is the Yonkers Public Schools. We know the struggles that public schools have had and the YPS suffers from years of mismanagement and underfunding.
“I wanted the 32 additional positions that are included in this budget, but I wanted more because the need is so large. The Superintendent doesn’t have the ideal amount of surplus in case of an emergency. The Mayor’s budget would have provided additional revenue that could have gone to the schools. It would have cost the taxpayers an additional $19 per month.”
Council Majority Leader Tasha Diaz criticized Pineda-Issac for her no vote. “I’m a product of the YPS and a lifelong resident of Yonkers. And now I’m the Educaton Chair. This is a budget that is sustainable and works for the city. We gave the YPS everything they wanted and more. How can you say you want more? I have spoken to Superintendent Quezada and he is ok with the budget. This is a budget that my colleagues have come together to support. I find it to be selfish and unjust to say that what we gave them was not enough. Also $19 a month more in taxes means a lot to some people when milk is $6 per gallon. We did provide for the children and I support this budget.”
Council Minority Leader Mike Breen said, The schools got their money and we decided not to raise taxes more than 1.25% because when they money is coming in that’s not the time to do it. We raised taxes by 6% a while ago because there was no money and the union contracts were due. It had to be done, but we don’t have to raise taxes now for union contracts that will be due in 3 years. Hopefully, we will have more revenues then from the casino and Lionsgate. I wasn’t going to go above 1.25% and I’m proud of what we did.
Councilmember Shanae Williams voted yes on the budget but no on the capital spending plan, explaining that the process left out items she wanted to see and that it was incomplete.
Councilman John Rubbo said, “While not perfect, this is a good budget. It adds positions and the tax increase is lower. Both will benefit our residents. This budget adds 10 new police officers, invests in infrastrucute, and invests in our schools. We added another $3.1 Million to this budget and as a parent with two kids in the YPS, we voted for the critical staff requests that Dr. Quezada asked for.
Councilman Anthony Merante said, “The city is doing well. This is my 5th budget and we never kicked the can down the road. This is a budget that I can sell to my constituents. We didn’t neglect the schools or the taxpayers, and did it without any drama.”
Additional positions funded in the budget for YPS include 9 Full time counselors, 4 social workers, 9 Teaching Assistants, and 10 additional pubilc safety officers.
The budget now goes to Mayor Spano for his signature“Yonkers, now the third largest city in New York State, weathered the effects of a global pandemic better than expected largely due to the city’s uniquely diverse workforce; its growing population because of its booming economic development; increased e-commerce sales; and direct federal stimulus aid to residents,” said Spano.
“Thanks to the cooperative work with our City Council, we are improving quality services for our residents, relieving our taxpayers as best as we can and making the vital investments in education so we can keep moving Yonkers forward.”
