Mayor Bloomberg will slash the city budget by $1.7 billion over the next two years — and cut 2,000 city workers, raise the price of school lunches, and hike parking fees, the city revealed Sunday.
The mid-year budget slashing plan is meant to reduce an expected $2.5 billion budget gap expected in fiscal year 2014 — but it would still leave $1.15 billion in red ink.
City officials said that only 167 workers would have to be laid off to achieve an overall reduction of 2,127 slots.
The city’s budget was dealt a blow when a judge struck down the outer borough taxi plan — which had been expected to bring in $635 million in new medallion sales in the current fiscal year. City officials still insist they’ll win in court eventually — but have stripped the money out of this year’s budget and pushed it down the road.
“New York has fared better than other cities through fiscal uncertainty because of our responsible budgeting,” said Bloomberg spokeswoman Lauren Passalacqua.
The penny-pinching moves include:
*Hiking the price of school lunches from $1.50 to $2.50. The move applies to families that pay full price for lunch — about 25% of students. Students currently paying a reduced price will end up getting lunch for free. The change is expected to raise more than $30 million over four years.
*Raising parking fees in metered spots south of 96th St. in Manhattan from $3 to $3.50 an hour. From 96th St. to 110th St., the rate would go from $1 to $1.50. Hourly and long term rates at city parking lots and garages will also go up, and the city will add new metered spaces in Lower Manhattan in what are now either free or no parking zones.
*Calling off the reopening of the Queens Detention Complex, which had been scheduled for January, and getting rid of 470 uniformed Correction slots through attrition. Another 259 civilian employees of the Department of Correction will be eliminated through attrition.
*Cutting after school program seats in the Out of School Time program to save $10 million.
*Laying off staff in the Health Department’s HIV, immunization, childcare inspections, and pest control programs. Officials warn that the cuts may lead to delays in notification of sexual partners of people with HIV.
*Eliminating funding for four school health centers and for vision screenings for kindergartners and first graders.
The administration stressed that cuts would not hit the city’s storm relief operations. They also don’t include any cuts in the number of police officers, fire fighters, or teachers.
edurkin@nydailynews.com
