No exception was made for Mayor Bill de Blasio as well, who said that his office team had been working hard and he did not want them to go a week without pay, but the situation demands “tough choices”.
New York City Mayor’s Office, including de Blasio and his wife Chirlane McCray, has been given a week off, to help deal with the city’s enormous budget deficit, worsened by COVID-19 pandemic.
De Blasio told reporters on Wednesday that his team came up with a tough decision “to move this city forward and keep our budget balanced”. Since the coronavirus pandemic started in March, NYC’s budget deficit has reached some $9 billion, and now, the fiscal year budget is $7 billion less than it was projected earlier, according to de Blasio.
The mayor criticised the federal government for failing to provide a federal stimulus, adding that they will continue to demand a coronavirus relief bill from Washington, DC.
De Blasio’s decision, however, was met with little enthusiasm on social media, with Twitterians saying the officials have abandoned their own city, making New Yorkers deal with the issues on their own while his team is getting days off. Others claimed that it was his fault the city is sustaining budget and other issues, including the rising homicide rate.
Sourse: sputniknews.com
