The City Council announced they will not be funding any initiative in fiscal year ’09 that is not already slated to get funded under this year’s city budget.
In a public statement, City Council Speaker Christine Quinn said, “As we enter more uncertain economic times, we need to set fiscal priorities in the budget,” and added, “Putting a moratorium on new initiatives will allow us to cut back on city spending and to focus on restoring funds to essential services that New Yorker’s already depend on everyday.”
According to a spokesperson, Quinn told reporters at City Hall that this step would save the city tens of millions of dollars.
Politically, it’s the kind of announcement that may also help repair Quinn’s image as a manager of the council’s finances, although it already seems to be on the mend.
