Parking Meter Increases, Firehouse Closures Deferred

The city council announced on Thursday that has made several budget compromises to help prevent lapses in fire coverage, increases in parking meter rates and more.

In November, Bloomberg announced dozens of cuts to city agencies in an attempt to help balance the city’s budget for the next fiscal year and beyond.

The cuts affected every city agency, and would have caused some city firehouses to run with a skeleton crew on weekends and close some late nights. The cuts would have also forced the department of transportation to increase pay rates at parking meters to $1 per hour.

“We have a budget to balance, and we can’t do that without making tough decisions, but the challenge of this economic climate is to tackle our deficit with new ideas and innovative thinking, without harming vulnerable populations.,” said City Council Finance Chair Domenic Recchia, D-Brooklyn. “This deal achieves that goal. “

Council Speaker Christine Quinn, D-Manhattan, said the deal reached preserves services in parts of the city which are already struggling.

“We recognize the difficult times we face and the council has worked incredibly hard to ensure that any cuts that are made are done in the most thoughtful and responsible manner,” Quinn said. “We worked to secure funding for programs that serve the most vulnerable New Yorkers and to find alternative savings in order to reach a fiscally responsible budget that meets the needs of all New Yorkers.”

None of the cuts made to the November budget have been taken completely off the table, but in the meantime, there will be no nighttime firehouse closures, a prospect that frightened many city residents.

As well, the outside of Manhattan or above 86th street in Manhattan. Case management services for seniors and homeless youth programs are now completely funded, and there will not be an increase in the cost to join rec centers throughout the city.

Despite the savings, many of the job cuts that were proposed in the mayor's original budget are still likely to take place.