Mayor invests in workforce training programs
BY BILL PARRY
As it gears up for the full
arrival of Amazon’s HQ2
campus in Long Island City
is the coming years, the
de Blasio administration
announced Jan. 28 that it
is offering up to $300,000 in
micro-grants to qualified
organizations that specialize
in workforce development.
The grants will support
research and planning into
innovative approaches the city
could take to promote training
and hiring of underrepresented
New Yorkers in tech and other
in-demand sectors.
“Preparing New Yorkers
for the jobs of tomorrow and
making sure those jobs are
accessible to residents from
all backgrounds with different
skill sets is critical to leveling
the economic playing field,”
the New York City Economic
Development Corporation
President and CEO James
Patchett said. “We are excited
to partner with the Office of
Workforce Development to
catalyze innovative workforce
training programs that will
help ensure New Yorkers are
ahead of the game as the city’s
tech sector booms.”
Photo via Getty Images
Through a request for
expressions of interest, known
as an RFEI, the Mayor’s Office
of Workforce Development
and the NYCEDC will work
with community-based
organizations with funds to
develop effective, innovative
programmatic concepts the
city and its partners can use
to help ensure local talent is
prepared to access new hiring
tech opportunities.
The grant funds will be used
by experienced organizations
with a track record of
providing job training and
placement services to New
Yorkers to support research
tasks, hiring of new staff to
work on plan development,
and similar start-up costs.
“I am delighted that the
city is investing critical
resources and funding
towards advancing career
readiness programs and
helping underrepresented
communities enter the tech
industry,” Congresswoman
Carolyn Maloney said. “With
the addition of Amazon, NYC
has further cemented itself
as a world tech hub and I am
glad to support programs
that create tangible benefits
for New Yorkers and support
their entrance to this
lucrative field.”
Organizations are
encouraged to respond by
making a request for funding.
Such requests will be based on
the need for and for expected
use of funds described in the
respective responses.
“Expanded educational
programs will help ensure
that our city’s residents
attain competitive jobs in
the tech industry,” State
Assemblywoman Catherine
Nolan said. “Of course, more
needs to be done but I will
continue to advocate for effective
adult education programs for
the people of our district.”
In November, Amazon
announced it was coming to
Long Island City and planning
to fill 25,000 new jobs over
the next 10 years that pay an
average salary of $150,000 per
year. In December, Google
announced it was planning
to double its New York City
workforce to nearly 14,000
workers by 2022.
“Hiring local talent is a
must-have for the Amazon deal,
and this RFEI looks to prepare
for this massive economic
development opportunity by
tapping into and maximizing
the potential for our diverse
workforce,” City Councilman
Peter Koo said. “Education,
skills training and workforce
development are all on the
table, and now is the time to
fully examine how best we
can capitalize on the longterm
commitment to good and
sustainable jobs.”
City Councilman Paul
Vallone, the chair of the
Committee on Economic
Development, agreed.
“With HQ2 coming to Long
Island City, New Yorkers
must be guaranteed that they
will have the opportunity to
obtain the high paying jobs
Amazon will create,” Vallone
said. “Targeting youth and
workforce development will
be critical in ensuring that
residents have the skills and
the education to succeed in
these jobs. I look forward to
seeing the results of this RFEI
and working with the EDC as
we prepare New Yorkers to
reap the maximum benefits of
Amazon’s move.”
Reach reporter Bill
Parry by e-mail at bparry@
schnepsmedia.com or by phone
at (718) 260–4538.
Dromm bill would provide tax relief for seniors
BY BILL PARRY
Senior citizens across
Queens living on a fixed
income stand to receive some
relief from their property
taxes and other outstanding
debts through legislation
that the City Council passed
last week.
The legislation —
introduced by City
Councilman Daniel Dromm,
who chairs on the Council’s
Finance Committee —
establishes three new types
of payment agreement plans
to homeowners who earn
less than $58,400 so they can
afford the property taxes
and avoid being included in
a lien sale.
The proposal will be
available to owners of one-
to three-family homes and
condominiums, where such
a home is their primary
residence.
Nearly 17,000 Queens
residents currently enrolled
in the Senior Citizen
Homeowner Exemption,
which cuts property taxes
by up to 50 percent, could
benefit from the new bill.
“Thousands of low-income
homeowners struggling to
make ends meet will be able
to keep their homes thanks
to my legislation,” Dromm
said. “This effort recognizes
that many New Yorkers fall
on hard times and need a
helping hand; that includes
our homeowners. When
enacted, this legislation
will provide homeowners
who are unable to pay
their property taxes with
affordable payment plans,
including for the first time
the option to defer payment
in several cases, most
notably seniors.”
In Fiscal Year 2018,
almost one in every two
homeowners who entered
into payment plans couldn’t
afford to keep up with them,
putting them at greater risk
for inclusion in the lien
sale. These new flexible and
affordable payment plans
were needed to address
that issue. This is the first
property tax deferral and/or
income-based payment plan
program created by the city.
Existing plans do not
account for ability to pay.
One of the payment
agreement plans would
give low-income seniors the
Photo via Getty Images
option to defer some or all of
their property tax payments
until the property is sold or
otherwise transferred, at
which point the city would
be paid the taxes owed from
the proceeds of the sale.
“As property taxes and
the cost of living continue
to increase in New York,
many senior and low-income
homeowners struggle to make
ends meet, and at times have
to choose between paying
property taxes, putting
food on the table or buying
medicine and healthcare,”
City Council Speaker Corey
Johnson said.
“These New Yorkers face
difficulties to pay their
property taxes and it makes
it harder for them to remain
in their homes and in their
communities,” he added.
“Affordability is one of the
biggest issues we are facing
as a city, and this bill will
help New Yorkers stay in
their homes and stay in
their communities.”
“This creative program
will assist homeowners to
come out with a payment
plan to ensure they don’t
lose the home they worked
so hard for.”
Reach reporter Bill
Parry by e-mail at bparry@
schnepsmedia.com or by
phone at (718) 260–4538.
TIMESLEDGER,46 FEB. 1-7, 2019 TIMESLEDGER.COM
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