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| NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 15: New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg speaks at a City Hall news conference September 15, 2008 in New York City. Bloomberg discussed the city's financial situation following the collapse of Wall Street icons Lehman Brothers HoldingsInc. and Merrill Lynch & Co. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images) |
Posted: Monday, 06 July 2009 8:07PM
Mayor Bloomberg Orders Hiring Freeze Because of Senate Gridlock
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NEW YORK (AP) -- Mayor Michael Bloomberg ordered an immediate citywide hiring freeze on Monday to help bridge financial gaps he said are caused by the gridlocked state Senate's failure to act on city budget matters.
The freeze delays indefinitely more than 1,000 planned hires, including a class of 250 police recruits who were to be sworn in Wednesday. It postpones the hires of firefighters, traffic agents, school crossing guards, school safety agents, 911 operators and emergency medical technicians planned for this summer and fall.
The city has about 300,000 municipal employees. The police department, the nation's largest, has about 35,000 officers.
The Senate has been in a standoff for a month, unable to take legislative action because of disagreements about who is in control. Two Senate factions continue to refuse to recognize each other's leaders. The conflict began with a coup June 8 by a Republican-dominated coalition versus the Democratic majority.
The city has been in a holding pattern because the state must approve new tax measures that were included in the city budget for fiscal year 2010, which began July 1. Without them, the city is losing $60 million a month, said Bloomberg, an independent.
City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, a Democrat, said in a statement that the Senate ``needs to put aside their power struggle'' and pass the revenue package.
In a statement given by the Mayor's Office, the hiring freeze will indefinitely delay the Police Department’s class of 250 recruits who the Mayor had planned on swearing in on Wednesday, July 8th. It also puts plans to hire other important City workers on hold, including:
150 Firefighters
151 Traffic Agents
34 Emergency 911 Operators
175 School Safety Agents
150 School Crossing Guards
90 Emergency Medical Technicians
20 3-1-1 Operators
“I urge Senators in both parties to put aside their political differences and approve the City’s revenue plan so we can move forward with providing the core services that New Yorkers rely on,” Mayor Bloomberg concluded.
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Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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