NEWBURGH – The City of Newburgh’s plan to lay off 12 paid firefighters as federal funding expires has come under fire from Congressman Sean Patrick Maloney.
The lawmaker said city officials should have planned for the inevitable.
“It is outrageous that after three or four years of warning that Newburgh city government has not prepared for this event,” Maloney said. “They knew from the day we got this money years ago and when we got it renewed a couple of years later that they were going to provide for this critical public service at some point and to now to turn around and say we’re going to lay these guys off is, I think, irresponsible and dangerous.”
While Maloney said there is no more federal funding to retain the firefighters, he will continue to be “creative” to seek additional money to keep them on the city payroll.
