Yonkers council adopts home-rule messages, labor contract, settlements and budget transfer; several measures pass unanimously

The Yonkers City Council on March 11 adopted several noncontroversial items by unanimous recorded vote after the evening’s public hearing: home-rule messages for multiple bills, a ratified labor agreement, two settlement payments, a budget transfer and the addition of commissioner-of-deeds applications to the agenda.

Deputy Clerk read the items on the agenda. The council voted 6-0 (one member absent) to adopt home-rule messages for Senate bills S432, S433, S434 and S436 (and companion Assembly bills as read at the meeting) related to mortgage recording tax, bonds and notes, sales tax and income tax respectively. Each of those resolutions was recorded as adopted 6-0.

The council approved an agreement between the Yonkers Board of Education (Yonkers Public Schools) and the Civil Service Employees Association (Yonkers non-teaching unit) by a 6-0 vote; council members described the result as the conclusion of prolonged negotiations. Two settlements were approved by roll call: a $30,000 settlement in Christian Jimenez and David Santos v. City of Yonkers and a $75,000 settlement in Julio Suarez v. City of Yonkers; both adopted 6-0.

Council members also added a budget-transfer ordinance (item 8a) to the agenda and adopted it 6-0. The transfer moves funds among multiple city accounts for fiscal year 2024–25, including lines for judgments and claims, senior tax abatement, workers’ compensation, professional fees, snow-and-ice control and water fund accounts. The council requested copies of commissioner-of-deeds applications that were added to the agenda and adopted as item 8b, also by a 6-0 vote.

These votes were taken after the committee portion of the meeting concluded and were recorded in roll-call form; the deputy clerk read each roll call when requested. With those items adopted, the council closed the session for the evening.