Listen: NYC Comptroller Warns of ‘Vacancy Crisis’

By Bob Hennelly with Joe Maniscalco

While other major cities in America including Boston are moving to confront an alarming shortage of municipal workers, New York City Comptroller Brad Lander this week warns the Stuck Nation Radio Labor Hour “rather than taking an aggressive approach to fill vacancies — we’ve really done the opposite as part of an effort to balance gaps in the city budgets. We’re just leaving positions vacant regardless of whether they are really critical or not.”

For instance, Lander reminds New Yorkers that many city agencies and departments — including the Dept. of Housing, Preservation and Development, Dept. of City Planning and the Dept. of Buildings — are all short of workers. Cyber Command alone — the agency responsible for safeguarding New York City’s online presence — is running a 36-percent vacancy rate.

“Sooner or later, you’re gonna get hacked,” Lander warns.

Listen to the entire interview, including discussions about inflation and NYC’s new Director of Workers Rights, below: