Adams trashes $14 M NYC Council-approved law to provide free garbage bins: 'Ax to grind'
Adams revealed this week he won't sign off on $14.5 million in taxpayer dough to give away hundreds of thousands of specially secure bins to New Yorkers as part of his war on NYC rats.
The bins are supposed to go to owners of one- and two-family homes with the city refunding those who already purchased them, provided they are enrolled in the state's School Tax Relief (STAR) program.
The giveaway was supposed to begin Friday under legislation sponsored by Yusef Salaam (D-Manhattan) that the Council unanimously approved in February with a veto-proof majority.
3 Mayor Eric Adams is snubbing a new law that is supposed to provide owners of one- and two-family home with city-issued bins.
Instead, Council members this week were told to come up with the $14.5 million on their own — enough to cover about 265,000 one-and two family households, by NYC Independent Budget Office estimates.
The City Council has its own taxpayer-funded budget that it uses to pay staff, fund pet projects in their district and for other initiatives.
It was the latest salvo fired in an ongoing feud between the city's executive and legislative branches, which also this week included Adams vetoing a City Council measure that would have blocked Bally's from opening a Bronx casino and another that would decriminalize illegal vending.
3 'The mayor has an ax to grind,' said Council Minority Leader Joann Ariola (R-Queens).
Ron Sachs – CNP for NY Post
A vast majority of NYC property owners will be required to use city-issued bins with secure lids by June 2026. They range in cost from $43.88 for 25-gallon containers to $53.01 to 45-gallon bins — a tab the Council believes should be picked up by the city for many New Yorkers.
Reps for the mayor said the Council should have addressed the bill's funding before agreeing last month on a new $115.9 billion budget for this fiscal year – especially since Adams previously complained the trash-bin giveaway plan was fiscally irresponsible.
But Adams has an obligation to abide by the new law, and the Council believed the money for the bins was covered by $32 million of permanent new funding he set aside for the Department of Sanitation to keep NYC clean, some members said.
'The mayor has an ax to grind … This was never supposed to be funded by the City Council,' said Council Minority Leader Joann Ariola (R-Queens). '[Adams] is putting up the middle-finger to middle-class taxpayers.'
3 The trash-bin giveaway was supposed to begin Friday under legislation sponsored by Yusef Salaam (D-Manhattan)
Matthew McDermott
'Homeowners in the STAR program are predominantly seniors and one of the most vulnerable groups in the city. That's why the … legislation to provide free garbage bins to these residents was so important,' said Councilwoman Lynn Schulman (D-Queens).
'The city must take care of its most precious constituents.'
Salaam did not return messages.
Liz Garcia, an Adams spokeswoman, said 'it is unfortunate that the City Council irresponsibly passed an unfunded law and then did not prioritize funding for it during our recent budget negotiations.'
'We will continue to work to provide the most affordable options to New Yorkers and send the rats packing out of our city,' Garcia said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
5 hours ago
- New York Post
Adams trashes $14 M NYC Council-approved law to provide free garbage bins: 'Ax to grind'
NYC homeowners might not be getting the free garbage cans the City Council promised – as legislators and Mayor Eric Adams literally fight over trash. Adams revealed this week he won't sign off on $14.5 million in taxpayer dough to give away hundreds of thousands of specially secure bins to New Yorkers as part of his war on NYC rats. The bins are supposed to go to owners of one- and two-family homes with the city refunding those who already purchased them, provided they are enrolled in the state's School Tax Relief (STAR) program. The giveaway was supposed to begin Friday under legislation sponsored by Yusef Salaam (D-Manhattan) that the Council unanimously approved in February with a veto-proof majority. 3 Mayor Eric Adams is snubbing a new law that is supposed to provide owners of one- and two-family home with city-issued bins. Instead, Council members this week were told to come up with the $14.5 million on their own — enough to cover about 265,000 one-and two family households, by NYC Independent Budget Office estimates. The City Council has its own taxpayer-funded budget that it uses to pay staff, fund pet projects in their district and for other initiatives. It was the latest salvo fired in an ongoing feud between the city's executive and legislative branches, which also this week included Adams vetoing a City Council measure that would have blocked Bally's from opening a Bronx casino and another that would decriminalize illegal vending. 3 'The mayor has an ax to grind,' said Council Minority Leader Joann Ariola (R-Queens). Ron Sachs – CNP for NY Post A vast majority of NYC property owners will be required to use city-issued bins with secure lids by June 2026. They range in cost from $43.88 for 25-gallon containers to $53.01 to 45-gallon bins — a tab the Council believes should be picked up by the city for many New Yorkers. Reps for the mayor said the Council should have addressed the bill's funding before agreeing last month on a new $115.9 billion budget for this fiscal year – especially since Adams previously complained the trash-bin giveaway plan was fiscally irresponsible. But Adams has an obligation to abide by the new law, and the Council believed the money for the bins was covered by $32 million of permanent new funding he set aside for the Department of Sanitation to keep NYC clean, some members said. 'The mayor has an ax to grind … This was never supposed to be funded by the City Council,' said Council Minority Leader Joann Ariola (R-Queens). '[Adams] is putting up the middle-finger to middle-class taxpayers.' 3 The trash-bin giveaway was supposed to begin Friday under legislation sponsored by Yusef Salaam (D-Manhattan) Matthew McDermott 'Homeowners in the STAR program are predominantly seniors and one of the most vulnerable groups in the city. That's why the … legislation to provide free garbage bins to these residents was so important,' said Councilwoman Lynn Schulman (D-Queens). 'The city must take care of its most precious constituents.' Salaam did not return messages. Liz Garcia, an Adams spokeswoman, said 'it is unfortunate that the City Council irresponsibly passed an unfunded law and then did not prioritize funding for it during our recent budget negotiations.' 'We will continue to work to provide the most affordable options to New Yorkers and send the rats packing out of our city,' Garcia said.
New York Post
6 hours ago
- New York Post
Fighting gun violence in NYC starts with getting criminals and illegal weapons off the streets
Last week, New York was struck by an act of senseless violence when four innocent people were murdered, and another was seriously injured, in an act of cold blood in a Park Avenue office building. As a city, we are in shock. As your mayor, I am heartbroken. The outpouring of grief I have seen and shared in this past week has been devastating. Families and entire communities have been shattered, and we, once again, have to ask why. As we have seen time and time again, the availability of guns in this nation is a major factor in the deaths of these four innocent New Yorkers. When guns are on the streets and in the hands of anyone with a few hundred dollars, the danger expands from states that have lax gun laws to anywhere in America. That is what is so frightening about these kinds of crimes. The victims could have been any of us. A mother about to leave the office on her way home from work, a daughter going to grab drinks with a group of friends, or a security guard just doing his duty. One of the souls we lost was NYPD Detective Didarul Islam, a husband and father who was protecting his community and providing for his family. He put his life on the line and made the ultimate sacrifice, and he died as he lived: a hero. New York City is built on our commitment to public safety and the courage of our NYPD officers who truly are New York's Finest. Their dedication to protecting each and every New Yorker is what makes everything else we do as a city possible. As a former police officer myself, I know the risks they take and how hard they work — I know the commitment to the higher calling they have answered. I cannot overstate my gratitude for the officers who rushed to the scene and prevented further catastrophe. From the start of this administration, we have made public safety our number one focus, our North Star. We put thousands more officers on our streets, committed over $485 million to our new 'Blueprint for Community Safety,' and invested a record $86 million in our CMS violence prevention groups. We have also focused relentlessly on bringing down gun violence. Since the beginning of this year alone, the NYPD has taken over 3,100 illegal firearms off the streets, and since we came into office three years ago, we have now seized more than 22,800 illegal guns. Each illegal gun we take off our streets is saving lives and damming up one more river that leads to the sea of violence. It is a weapon that no longer threatens the lives of our family, our friends, or our neighbors. I have said it before, and I will say it again: Every New Yorker must be safe and feel safe, confident that their city is looking out for them and their families no matter where they live. We must get criminals off our streets and illegal guns out of their hands. We must enforce our laws, prosecute wrongdoers, and fight recidivism. How the shooting unfolded Reports of the shooting at 345 Park Ave. start coming in around 6:28 p.m. Shane Tamura, 27, is seen getting out of a black BMW between 51st and 52nd streets with an M4 rifle. He enters the lobby and turns right, where he shoots police officer Didarul Islam, 36, dead. Tamura guns down a woman cowering behind a pillar in the lobby, sprays more bullets and walks toward the elevator bank — where he shoots dead a security guard crouching at his desk. One more man reports being shot and injured in the lobby. He was in critical but stable condition. The gunman allows a woman to walk out of the elevators unharmed before heading up to the 33rd floor, where building owner Rudin Properties' offices are located, 'and begins to walk the floor, firing as he traveled.' One woman is shot and killed on that floor before Tamura shoots himself in the chest. It's unclear how long the mayhem lasted. Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch posted on X at 7:52 p.m.: 'The scene has been contained and the lone shooter has been neutralized.' There is no room for compromise when it comes to the safety of our citizens. It's why I was the co-chair of Mayors Against Illegal Guns, and it's why I have prioritized fighting ghost gun retailers to remove illegal, untraceable weapons from our streets. Gun violence is not a New York problem — it is an American problem. New York City has some of the strictest gun laws, yet the rest of America has not kept up. We cannot prioritize guns over the lives of our brothers and sisters, and we cannot keep responding to senseless gun violence with just vigils. Americans have seen enough violence, have shared enough thoughts and prayers; we must take action. And our response to this tragedy must be worthy of the memories of those we have lost. As your mayor, I will continue to call for common-sense gun reform on a national level and to work with every agency and every community to keep New York the safest big city in the nation. I am thinking of all the families impacted by last week's tragic shooting, and of all the needless shootings we continue to see across our nation, and am recommitting myself to fighting gun violence every way I can. May Aland Etienne, Julia Hyman, Didarul Islam, and Wesley LePatner's memories be a blessing.
Miami Herald
10 hours ago
- Miami Herald
Report: Luka Doncic signs 3-year, $165M extension with Lakers
Five-time All-NBA guard Luka Doncic signed a three-year, $165 million contract extension with the Los Angeles Lakers, ESPN reported on Saturday. The Lakers announced the extension but did not divulge terms of the deal, which comes six months to the day after Doncic was acquired by the Lakers from the Dallas Mavericks. Per ESPN, the contract extension includes a player option for the 2028-29 season. It also keeps Doncic out of free agency next summer and nixes his 2026-27 player option in place of the new contract. "Today is a monumental moment for our franchise. Luka Doncic's future is with the Los Angeles Lakers," said Rob Pelinka, the Lakers president of basketball operations. "Luka is one of the game's most transcendent players, and his on-court dominance and passion is without compare. From the moment Luka became a Laker, there was an immediate connection and admiration between Luka and our fanbase. You can feel it in your spirit when you attend a Lakers game. Luka is an absolute killer on the court, and blends that with a unique generosity and care for the community. Above all else, Luka will lead our franchise to pursue future championships, a goal that will forever define the Lakers." Doncic, 26, averaged 28.2 points, 8.1 rebounds and 7.5 assists in 28 games (all starts) since he was acquired by the Lakers in a three-team deal on Feb. 2. The Lakers also received Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris, and the Mavericks picked up Anthony Davis, Max Christie and a 2029 first-round draft pick. The Utah Jazz, who helped to facilitate the trade, received Jalen Hood-Schifino and a 2025 second-round draft pick via the Los Angeles Clippers from the Lakers. Dallas also sent a 2025 second-round selection to Utah. "I'm really grateful to the Lakers organization, my teammates and the fans for welcoming me and my family with so much support and kindness since day one," Doncic said. "This is an amazing organization, and I truly believe in what we're building together. I'm going to keep working as hard as I can to bring another championship to Los Angeles and to make Laker Nation proud. This is just the beginning. I'm excited for what's ahead and to keep building something special with this team." A five-time All-Star selection, Doncic is averaging 28.6 points, 8.6 rebounds and 8.2 assists in 450 career games (all starts) with the Mavericks and Lakers. --Field Level Media Field Level Media 2023 - All Rights Reserved
