City Aids Libraries, Day Care;

City Aids Libraries, Day Care

By MEREDITH KOLODNER

Mayor Bloomberg and the City Council agreed on a $59-billion budget last week, with additions for day-care centers, Teachers and libraries that pleased union leaders. City leaders failed, however, to allocate money for the Housing Authority to stave off expected job cuts.

The Chief-Leader/Pat Arnow WHAT, ME WORRY?: Mayor Bloomberg, City Council Speaker Christine Quinn (far right) and the rest of the Council agreed on a $59-billion budget last week that will squirrel away about half of the city's $4.4-billion surplus for future debt service, while adding money to allow libraries to open six days a week, keep child health-care clinics open for the summer, help Teachers buy supplies, and rescind cuts made to the City University of New York. The budget provides an additional $42.7 million to keep libraries open six days a week, an extra $17 million to keep city-funded day-care centers open, almost $21 million for classroom supplies, and $5 million more for full-day pre-kindergarten slots. The estimated $4.4-billion surplus also allowed the Council to rescind more than $37 million of cuts to the City University of New York and add another $2.25 million for diversity and veterans' initiatives.

LETITIA JAMES: Comes through for day care. "CUNY faculty and staff worked hard," said Professional Staff Congress President Barbara Bowen, "alongside CUNY administration to secure the restorations. We are pleased that our efforts seem to have been successful."

Got Almost Everything

The PSC and CUNY management had jointly backed $34.8 million in restorations, and the PSC had asked for another $7.3 million in restorations for Community Colleges and diversity initiatives, which were funded at even higher levels than the union requested.

The money for libraries will allow all branches to remain open on Saturdays. "I think this is great news," said Carol Thomas, the president of New York Public Library Guild Local 1930 of District Council 37, "provided that they will use the money to hire staff; otherwise it would be a disaster. We are severely short-staffed. People right now are stretched to the limit."

LILLIAN ROBERTS: 'Something to work with.' The $17 million for Administration for Children's Services-run day-care centers was part of an initiative submitted by Brooklyn Councilwoman Letitia James and supported by child-care advocates and leaders of District Council 1707.

"This will keep more centers from closing," said Neal Tepel, executive assistant to DC 1707 Executive Director Raglan George. "We hope it will be used to bring back some of the folks who were laid off and add additional school-age slots."

Three centers in Brooklyn and one in Staten Island have closed within the past year. ACS officials have been urging the remaining centers to increase their enrollment. It is not yet clear how the funds will be used. "It is a good day," said Ms. James. "I'm ecstatic. Now we'll have to see how it gets spent. The devil is in the details."

President Greg Floyd of Teamsters Local 237, which represents 8,000 members at the Housing Authority, said he was deeply disappointed that the budget did not include money to stop the cut-backs in services and 500 layoffs. "We are shocked that the city has decided to gamble with the safety of public housing residents when it has a multi-billion dollar surplus," he said. "The Mayor always talks about affordable housing, but how can the city not fund the most affordable type of housing?"

Pre-K Additions

The Council also allocated $5 million to create more than 2,000 full-day pre-kindergarten slots in ACS centers. The state had given the city an additional $60 million for pre-k, but restricted its use to half-day slots, which city officials said they would have a difficult time filling. "It's a minute step in the right direction," said Gail Nayowith, the executive director of Citizens Committee for Children. "I'm not ungrateful, I think it's wonderful, but it's not a structural change. It's a Council add-on, and the need is much greater."

Other advocates said they were hopeful the new funding would push Albany to loosen its restrictions. "It's a really good signal to send to the state," said Nancy Colbin, executive director of Child Care, Inc., "that the city is stepping up to the plate."

United Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten said the budget "recognizes quality-of-life issues for Teachers" and shows that the Mayor and the City Council "appreciate what Teachers do."

"This budget reflects additional funding for Teacher's Choice," she said in a statement, "which allows educators to buy much-needed supplies, and continuation of the work station program, which will allow Teachers to be even more prepared for their classes." She also praised the $1.7 million for supplies for home day-care providers, whom the union is in the midst of organizing.

Infusion for Clinics

The Council added $6 million to keep Child Health Clinics open through the summer, which will avert summer layoffs planned by the Department of Health. And more than 100 children of DC 37, 1199 SEIU and Local 237 low-income members will benefit from $875,000 in funding for child-care subsidies and a study on the impact of the subsidies. "The goal is to show that by providing child-care assistance to its work force," said Moira Dolan, assistant director of research and negotiations for DC 37, "the city can have an overall positive impact on things like productivity, attendance, retention and morale."

The budget maintains the Mayor's original increase in funding for property-tax cuts, park enhancements, mass transit, and a new Police Academy. As planned, it sets aside $2.3 billion to cover debt service in Fiscal Years 2009 and 2010, and includes $500 million in payments to the city's retirees' health benefits trust funds, bringing the total to $2.5 billion.

"We will now have something significant to work with," DC 37 Executive Director Lillian Roberts stated in an e-mail, "which can lead to some valuable conversations when we sit down at the bargaining table later this year."