by Kathleen Lucadamo
The recent police contract will rip a $1.1 billion hole in the city's 2010 budget if other uniformed services try to match the raises cops captured, the mayor's budget director warned Friday.
A state arbitrator recently awarded police a roughly 7% pay raise for the 2004-2006 contract period, about 1% more than other unions collected.
"The problem with it is it is very retroactive," testified Mark Page, the director of the Office of Management and Budgets, during a City Council hearing.
The police deal alone, counting higher-than-expected costs for 2005 through 2010, hits $713 million, he said.
If the fire, sanitation and correction unions win better deals, that deficit stretches to $1.1 billion, Page said.
Because the proposed fiscal 2009 budget is already balanced, that bill could be bumped to 2010 in hopes the city's revenues will be rosier, Page said.
The Uniformed Firefighters Association already has moved to reopen its contract, and others are mulling doing the same. The police exchanged givebacks, including 10 vacation days for rookies, which other unions may not be willing to sacrifice.
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