Council Will Put Moratorium on New Initiatives

The City Council will not propose funding any new initiatives in 2009 in response to the city's weakening economy, Speaker Christine Quinn announced yesterday. Instead, the council will focus on restoring cuts to government services.

"As we enter more uncertain economic times, we need to set fiscal priorities in the budget," Ms. Quinn said in a statement. "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 Yorkers already depend on everyday."

Mayor Bloomberg's $59 billion budget includes across-the-board cuts for every city agency, which he says are necessary amid an economic downturn. Ms. Quinn has praised Mr. Bloomberg's fiscal prudence in the past, but has indicated that the City Council may resist certain cuts to the city's education budget and social services.