The Yonkers IDA has voted to negotiate an economic incentive package with Altman Lighting Company, in the hopes of encouraging the theatrical stage and architectural lighting company to remain  in the City.

Yonkers Mayor Phil Amicone paid a visit to Albany today along with Yonkers Schools Superintendent Bernard Pierorazio and Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino calling on state legislative leaders to restore severe school funding cuts to Yonkers. They had a series of meetings with Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos, Senator Jeff Klein, Senate Finance Committee staff and others.

Education funding for the state's fourth largest city  was cut more than $20 million in the Governor's proposed budget. The budget adopted by the NY State Senate last week cut an additional $15 million in education funding which was taken from VLT(Video Lottery Terminals) revenue from the Empire City Cacino at Yonkers Raceway.

Yonkers Mayor Phil Amicone was encouraged by the meeting, "Today we took some very important steps toward restoring the deep cuts made to Yonkers' education funding in the state budget. Although we are not all the way there yet, we gained commitments from key legislative leaders and have an agreement to work together to restore as much school funding as possible."

Said Amicone, "Specifically, our meetings with Majority Leader Dean Skelos and his staff were very productive and promising. Senator Skelos has a clear understanding of our city's and school district's needs and has agreed to work closely with us over the next couple of weeks to restore education funding cuts to Yonkers, mainly the much-needed VLT revenue we collect from Yonkers Raceway."

Last year, the Yonkers City School District was forced to cut 234 teachers. Another 439 were given an early retirement incentive. Amicone says unless changes are made with regard to state madates and the current cut in aid to the City, additional cuts in personnel and programs will be necessary.

State lawmakers have until April 1 to get a new budget approved.

Republican Mike Breen has tossed his hat into the ring for the Yonkers City Council, 5th District.

Yonkers Mayor Phil Amicone delivered his eighth and final State of the City address tonight, before a packed crowd at Yonkers City Hall.

The speech provided an overview of the City's looming $96 million deficit and a preview of the Mayor's forthcoming city budget and its deficit-reducing strategies. 

The City is facing a $32 million deficit in the municipal budget and a $64 million shortfall for the Board of Education.

Amicone says the state's fourth largest city is dealing with economic conditions that demand "continued austerity and sacrifice," and that  Yonkers is faced with declining revenues and a bad recession.

He blamed political grandstanding on the part of of the City Council for the five year delay in approving the  Ridge Hill Development  project, a move he claims cost the city millions of dollars and years of lost revenue.

The money, he says, could have been used for schools and city services, rather than it being forced to turn to layoffs and service cutbacks.

Reaction to the Governor's first-ever State of the State address is largely positive.

Republican State Senator Greg Ball said he liked what he heard and said he supported the Governor on such issues as a property tax cap.  Said Ball, "Hopefully that message will make its way into law and tax relief and doing what needs to be done. This state is hemorrhaging jobs, we're hemorrhaging people, folks are voting with their feet, and they need a governor and legislature to work together to get this state back on track." 

The Yonkers Industrial Development Agency(IDA) has voted to negotiate an economic incentive with Champlain Hudson Power Express Inc. (CHPE) to encourage the construction of a 1,000-megawatt power converter station between the Metro North rail lines along the Hudson River and Kawasaki Rail Car Inc.

Yonkers Mayor Phil Amicone and Police Commissioner Edmund Hartnett today announced the start of the Yonkers Police Department's "Gun Tips Hotline."

The purpose of the program is to take illegal guns off the streets of Yonkers.

Officials say it is not a gun buyback program and no arrest or conviction is required.

Individuals with information on the location of illegal handguns can call an anonymous tip line at 914-377-GUNS and the caller will be given a confidential identification number.