18 Layoffs Approved in Peekskill Budget
The Peekskill Common Council unanimously approved a 2013 budget last week that raises taxes 3.8% and eliminates 18 full-time positions.
“Nobody is happy to have to face this type of reduction in our employee base,” said Mayor Mary Foster. “This is a very painful cut for all of us. We don’t take this lightly. They will be people who will be missed.”
Acting City Manager Brian Havranek had proposed 24 layoffs and a 6% tax hike in his tentative budget in October. Foster stressed no police or fire positions were eliminated and two full-time staff slots at the Kiley Center had been saved. In addition, funding was restored for the city’s preschool program.
In the adopted $51.3 million spending plan, Foster noted the layoffs were primarily managerial and white collar positions at City Hall.
“We’ve made a conscientious effort to find ways to deliver city services more efficiently,” Foster said. “We’ve taken people’s suggestions to heart and tried to address all of them by presenting a balanced budget.”
The council also made some internal changes to save money, such as combining planning, building and code enforcement and economical development staff and merging the payroll and personnel finance functions.
However, not everyone was impressed with the decisions made by the council, including Diane Blank, a 21-year employee in the city’s Assessor’s Office whose job was eliminated.
“Who is going to do my job? Does anyone know what I do?” she said. “I am very unhappy. I am very disappointed. I worked very hard for this city.”
Instead of cutting jobs, resident Leesther Brown suggested the council give up their stipends. “You’re acting like you have done something magnificent,” she remarked. “These are real people with real families and real issues.”
George Ondek accused the council of being “tax and spend liberals” and insisted they all should resign.
“This budget is a disgrace. You’re bankrupting the city,” he said.
Activist Darrell Davis, who also called on the council to resign, went toe-to-toe with Foster and contended morale at City Hall under her watch was at an all-time low.
“There’s no way this should have happened. You had so many ways not to lay these people off,” Davis said. “It’s ruthless. You guys don’t care. You’re insensitive. I think it’s part of your agenda. You targeted people that you didn’t like for layoffs. You bullied people.”
Councilwoman Marybeth McGowan differed with Davis’ assessment, saying “This was very difficult. Nobody wants to cut any jobs. If there were funds available in any way of course we would bring jobs back.”
The average property owner in Peekskill will pay an additional $73 next year in city taxes, which are about 23% of their total tax bill. School taxes are 64%, while Westchester County taxes are 12%.
Rick has more than 40 years’ experience covering local news in Westchester and Putnam counties, running the gamut from politics and crime to sports and human interest. He has been an editor at Examiner Media since 2012. Read more from Rick’s editor-author bio here. Read Rick’s work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/pezzullo_rick-writer/
