Now that the stalemate is broken, supporters of mayoral control said yesterday that legislation extending the school-governance law should pass the state Senate soon — unless Democratic power brokers let politics and gamesmanship get in the way.
The Senate was still meeting early in the morning.
While it was not expected to take up mayoral control until sometime later, it did pass other legislation important to the city — an authorization to increase the sales tax by a half percent, which Mayor Bloomberg said would provide $60 million a month in revenue. The vote was 43-19.
Bloomberg today he is lifting the city hiring freeze. But he added that he needs a few days to determine when the police academy class that had been put on hold will be restarted.
Earlier, Daniel Squadron (D-Brooklyn), a co-sponsor of the bill that would leave Bloomberg in charge of the schools, said he had “a commitment that it’s going to pass” before the Senate leaves Albany.
That legislation has already been approved by the state Assembly.
The meltdown in the Senate allowed the school-governance law to lapse on July 1.
That forced a frustrated Mayor Bloomberg and the borough presidents to temporarily reconstitute the old seven-member Board of Education, which voted to preserve mayoral control until the Senate acts.
New Senate Majority Leader Pedro Espada Jr. (D-Bronx) favors mayoral control, as does former Democratic leader Malcolm Smith (D-Queens).
Sen. Frank Padavan (R-Queens), the chief Senate sponsor, is expected to deliver 30 GOP votes.
Even Sen. Bill Perkins (D-Manhattan) — one of the staunchest critics of mayoral control — conceded it will be extended.
Still, Senate Democratic conference leader John Sampson of Brooklyn wants to negotiate amendments to the Assembly bill to create a “parent training institute” and an independently funded parent group.
Other major bills scheduled for a vote include extending the city’s authority to issue bonds continuing income and mortgage taxes in cash strapped Yonkers