New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio on Wednesday addressed criticisms of his wife’s staff of 14, which costs taxpayers $2 million a year as the city faces a financial budget crisis.
“This work is about the needs of the people of this city, especially in this crisis,” de Blasio told reporters after being asked about the city’s use of taxpayer funds during the financial downturn, the New York Post reported.
Criticisms of Chirlane McCray’s team doesn’t “take into account the work that’s being done,” de Blasio said.
“The task force on racial inclusion and equity … has been moving big policy changes literally with the purpose of redistributing resources to the communities that are most affected” by COVID-19, de Blasio said, referring to a task force that McCray heads up.
“Unquestionably, there will be layoffs at City Hall. There’s no question about it for my staff, her staff, everyone,” he added.
News broke this week that McCray employs a 14-person team that does work for her mental health initiative ThriveNYC, among other initiatives. Her team costs taxpayers a collective $2 million a year.
“How much taxpayer money will the mayor’s wife pilfer before leaving office? How can she sleep at night, hiring these hacks knowing so many other city workers are facing layoffs this fall? This is a disgrace!” New York City Councilman Eric Ulrich said earlier this week.
McCray’s employees include a $117,000-a-year speechwriter, a $150,000-a-year senior adviser, and a $70,000-a-year videographer, who recently filmed McCray baking cookies during the pandemic.
De Blasio just last week warned that 22,000 city employees could be laid off in October because of the economic hit the city endured due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“The overwhelming cost of local government is personnel. Where we put our money is into the people who provide services to New Yorkers, whether they’re first responders, healthcare workers, sanitation workers, educators, you name it,” de Blasio told reporters last week, repeating a warning he first made in June.
Recent budget cuts and employee layoffs have also caused trash to build up in public parks in the city in recent weeks.
“It’s all over the park. Just garbage, garbage, garbage everywhere you look. I come here to enjoy myself, but this is not enjoyable,” city resident Marisol Jiminez told the New York Post. “It’s just disgusting to look at.”
