A relative of two New York City politicians has pleaded guilty to charges that he embezzled $115,000 from a taxpayer-funded nonprofit group, then shared some of the ill-gotten gains with his lawmaking kin. Richard Izquierdo-Arroyo is the grandson of New York Assemblywoman Carmen Arroyo and the nephew of City Council member Maria del Carmen Arroyo. [...]
The Fire Department is preparing to deactivate its street alarm boxes throughout New York City as a way to save money. Mayor Michael Bloomberg included the idea in his January budget proposal. Fire Commissioner Salvatore Cassano told the City Council on Wednesday that it would save $6 million in the first fiscal year. He says [...]
Three New York City Council members want their $10,000 committee chairmen stipends to benefit Haiti. Ydanis Rodriguez, Jumaane Williams and Mathieu Eugene scheduled an announcement Wednesday. The members oppose stipends for committee heads. Rather than accepting the money before donating it, Rodriguez’s chief of staff, Angel Audiffred, says they want the council to give the money [...]
David Greenfield, who’s running in a special election to replace outgoing City Councilman Simcha Felder in Brooklyn, has picked up Mayor Ed Koch’s backing – support that could be a boost in the heavily-Jewish district. “I began my career in the City Council, and I know the kind of person it takes to do the [...]
New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg has set a special election for March 23 to fill an open City Council seat in Brooklyn. The seat was vacated by Simcha Felder, who left to work for City Comptroller John Liu. Candidates must be nominated by petition. The winner serves until the end of Dec. 31, 2010. The [...]
A proposal by a city lawmaker to begin Common Council meetings with a prayer has reignited the electric debate about the appropriateness of religious expression in government. Newly elected Councilman Anton Konev, sworn in four weeks ago, wants to amend the council’s rules to include an opening prayer at its biweekly meetings, right between the [...]
In a twist on the City Council’s much-maligned practice of including lawmakers’ names on taxpayer-funded public trash cans, one politician actually promoted himself on the steel bins by making sure his name and title appeared after he left office. Former Councilman Michael McMahon (D-SI) spent $24,000 in city funds on 46 bright green bins bearing [...]
A Manhattan Supreme Court judge ruled Monday that the special minimum increases imposed by the Rent Guidelines Board in 2008 were illegal. The law said tenants paying less than $1,000 a month had to pay an increase of either $45 or 4.5 percent on one-year leases — whichever was higher. For two year leases, those [...]
The FDNY is facing drastic cuts – even the possibility of closing firehouses – as the city grapples with a devastating budget crisis, the Daily News has learned. FDNY officials and Mayor Bloomberg’s staffers have met to negotiate the upcoming budget, and, while it’s a last resort, firehouse closures are “on the table,” Fire Commissioner [...]
In his first policy announcement since taking office, Bill de Blasio, the city’s new public advocate, will challenge Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg’s record on homelessness and call on him to intensify his efforts to address the problem. A day before Mr. Bloomberg’s State of the City address, scheduled for Wednesday, Mr. de Blasio will hold [...]
