Jon Levine, Tina Moore and Matthew Sedacca | Sep. 9, 2023
Mayor Eric Adams’ demand for budget cuts of up to 15% across all New York City agencies could gut a host of critical municipal services, including trash pickups, afterschool programs and cops, experts told The Post
New Yorkers will have to endure a decrease in many city-backed services, including extra sanitation routes, Chris Coffey, CEO of Tusk Strategies and former aide to Mayor Michael Bloomberg, told The Post.
Andrew Ansbro, president of the FDNY Uniformed Firefighters Association, said the fire department is already stretched so thin the only cuts he could envision were “gutting everything in headquarters and all the fire prevention, recruitment efforts and everything else” besides the rank-and-file.
“You couldn’t close companies or not put out ambulances because we’re already understaffed and overworked,” he said. “I really don’t know where the money would come from.”
Oren Barzilay, president of the local union repping 4,000 EMS workers and fire inspectors, warned they are already underfunded and cuts will have “deadly consequences.”
“There are times the public has to wait half an hour to an hour for an ambulance, if not longer,” he said.