Statement from Sam Yoon on FY11 Budget Forecast

August 6, 2009

BOSTON – The Boston Municipal Research Bureau released a report today that predicts difficult choices and large-scale reforms will be necessary to balance Boston’s FY11 budget. City Councilor-at-Large and mayoral candidate Sam Yoon issued the following statement:

“This report is yet another confirmation of the need for real reform of the city’s spending. I held a public hearing in March to review the $74 million in savings outlined by the city’s taxpayer-funded watchdog, the Boston Finance Commission.

At that hearing, we talked about reforms of $24 million a year from reining in overtime spending, $22 million a year from reforming the sick and injured payrolls, and $3 million a year from eliminating fire-signal boxes. The potential for savings is enormous, but we need the leadership to take on these sacred cows.

But in the three months following, none of the proposals were discussed by the Mayor’s administration or incorporated into the budget. Tom Menino put off making hard budget choices for yet another year. Instead of looking for long-term solution, he gave us Band-Aids.”