YONKERS, NY – September 7, 2012 – (RealEstateRama) — Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano announced today that City taxpayers no longer will continue to subsidize free trash collection for local commercial properties in downtown Yonkers, saving taxpayers $300,000 per year. Starting November 15, the City of Yonkers will discontinue trash removal services for commercial businesses located within the Yonkers Downtown/Waterfront Business Improvement District (BID).
While conducting a top-down evaluation of the City services and budget obligations, the Spano administration uncovered that for more than 10 years the City of Yonkers had been providing this free service – twice a day, five days a week – to the over 200 businesses located within the Downtown Business District.
“Yonkers can no longer subsidize the Downtown BID with free City services that no other businesses in the City receive or are entitled to,” said Mayor Spano. “What was supposed to be a temporary bridge to support the BID when it was formed in 2001 has continued for more than a decade and has cost City taxpayers millions of dollars. While we value the businesses invested in our downtown redevelopment and are committed to working with them, this practice is unsustainable.”
In addition to the taxpayer cost, this practice likely violates both the State and US Constitution as it raises concerns relating to gifts of public funds and equal protection. In this case, no other private business in the City – including those affiliated with the City’s other BID – receives this free City service and, instead all pay for their own trash removal. As a result, the free trash service to the Downtown/Waterfront BID members amounts to an unconstitutional benefit to an isolated group of private businesses.
Mayor Spano added, “In uncovering this past practice, and putting a swift end to it, our administration continues to take action and demonstrate to City’s taxpayers that we are committed to addressing the fiscal crisis which threatens the City’s long-term solvency.”
On August 15 of this year, the City sent a notice letter to the Downtown BID asking it to notify its membership that the City of Yonkers will no longer cover the free trash collection for the downtown businesses as of November 15.
As stated in its original 2001 business plan, the Yonkers Downtown/Waterfront BID envisioned a joint venture with the City which would focus on marketing, façade improvements and code violation concerns. The City remains committed to supporting those mutual goals as it celebrates the ongoing revitalization of the downtown waterfront and encourage new investment in this region.
