Statement from Yonkers City Council President, Mike Khader.

Dear Neighbor, At this week’s Special Meeting of the City Council, the City of Yonkers FY2019-2020 Budget was adopted in a 6-1 vote. I voted against the budget and fully stand by my decision to do so. When I was elected as Council President, I made a promise to remain independent, never compromise my values, and to never stop fighting for taxpayers. While I support some items in the proposed budget, like the historic funding increases for our schools, bonding for classroom supplies and capital improvements for school repairs. In the end, I felt that voting for this budget wasn't in the best interests of our residents because of avoidable sewer and water rent increases. I want to take this opportunity to thank Mayor Spano, my fellow Council Members, the Board of Education, our department heads, and all of the other stakeholders for their hard work over the past few months. Even if we disagree, at the end of the day, we’re on the same team, so we’ll shake hands and get back to work for the people of Yonkers. As always, feel free to reach out to my office with any suggestions or concerns about how we can help to improve the quality of life of those who call Yonkers home. My office can be reached at 914-377-6060 or by sending us an email at councilpresident@yonkersny.gov Best, Mike