Commercial landlords and business owners in downtown Yonkers will no longer have a cut-rate ride to the landfill at city expense for their trash.
Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano said he is tossing out city-subsidized trash removal services within the Downtown/Waterfront Business Improvement District (BID), which includes about 240 businesses. Eliminating the subsidies for the twice-daily weekday service will save taxpayers $300,000 annually, he said.
The change will take effect Nov. 15.
“Yonkers can no longer subsidize the downtown BID with free city services that no other businesses in the city receive or are entitled to,” Spano said in a press release. “What was supposed to be a temporary bridge to support the BID when it was formed in 2001 has continued for more than a decade and has cost city taxpayers millions of dollars. While we value the businesses invested in our downtown redevelopment and are committed to working with them, this practice is unsustainable.”
City officials said the downtown trash collection practice likely is unconstitutional at both the state and federal levels as it involves public funds used to benefit a single group of private businesses.
Yonkers Downtown/Waterfront BID Executive Director Steve Sansone said 139 clients use the optional city service and pay the BID office a reduced charge for trash hauling. He said the BID collects about $150,000 annually from participating businesses and reinvests those funds in downtown and waterfront improvements and programs.
“We”™re not sure yet” of the impact on businesses, Sansone said.
Though the BID appropriation was included in the current city budget, “We certainly understand and respect their right in the tough economy” to cancel the program, Sansone said.
“It”™s something that was helpful,” he said of the service. Before the city provided it, “I think the main problem was that different carters were coming at all times” of the day and night.
He said BID officials are considering asking the City Council to restrict trash collection hours by private carters in the downtown and waterfront area, which has seen an influx of residents in recent years.
“We appreciate the partnership we”™ve had with the city since it started,” said Sansone. “It”™s worked well and made (the BID area) safer and cleaner.”
Sansone said the BID is asking business owners to get their own private trash carters. “We”™re going to work on what we can and want to ensure that it”™s a clean and safe place,” he said.
“We continue to have a great partnership with the city.”
