QUESTION
How many people are currently on Rikers, and what are the challenges and solutions for staffing and hiring at DOF?
6:21:41
·
5 min
There are about 6250 people currently on Rikers Island, and Maria Policarpo, President of DC 37 Local 1757, outlines staffing challenges and potential solutions at the Department of Finance (DOF) and other agencies.
- The Department of Finance (DOF) is currently facing a staffing shortage, with a significant decrease in the number of assessors.
- Staffing shortages at DoF are causing ripple effects on other agencies, further exacerbating the problem.
- The hiring process is being outpaced by retirements and resignations, contributing to the crisis.
- Maria Policarpo calls for hiring at least 100 people from an existing list to mitigate the staffing crisis.
Justin L. Brannan
6:21:41
How many people are on records right now?
Diana Ayala
6:21:44
About 6250.
Justin L. Brannan
6:21:50
And then I have a question for Maria.
6:21:55
I don't know.
6:21:55
Did you hear any of the testimony from DoF?
6:21:58
And what are you making that?
Maria Policarpo
6:21:59
Yeah.
6:22:00
Well, he's danced around your question, your very direct question in regards to what's the plan for hiring assessors.
Justin L. Brannan
6:22:07
How many in your in your career as or in your tenure as president, what's been the highest count?
6:22:18
Headcount for assessors.
Maria Policarpo
6:22:20
Just from March of 2020, I've analyzed the last several years since March of 2020.
6:22:25
DOF had about a 173 combo of assistance and city ancestors, and we're currently down to about 125 at DOF.
Jacques Jiha
6:22:35
Okay.
Maria Policarpo
6:22:36
And DOF being the largest agency with our members, of course, affects all the other agencies at the tax commission, Decast Law Department, and HPD because most people start out at DOF and then move their careers over to the other agencies.
6:22:51
So without a hiring pool at DOF, it kind of makes a ripple ripple effect towards the other agencies, which are also down, for instance, the wood apartment is down 50% staffing at this point since 2020, March of 2020 to current.
6:23:05
So all the agencies are suffering from a lack of hiring.
Justin L. Brannan
6:23:09
And do you find that something that counsel raises quite a bit?
6:23:14
Do you find that as these hiring phrases come and go?
6:23:19
When they're loosened, are they prioritizing, hiring, the revenue generating titles?
Maria Policarpo
6:23:26
We have made some some some efforts in in in hiring.
6:23:30
But unfortunately, the retirements than people resigning are for other for other agencies or other different different job opportunities.
6:23:39
It's outpacing any hiring efforts that we've made.
Rita Joseph
6:23:44
K.
Justin L. Brannan
6:23:46
I like all these other questions.
6:23:47
Yeah.
6:23:48
Castle member Brewer.
Gale Brewer
6:23:49
Thank you for your testimony and for DC 37.
6:23:52
So how long does it take?
6:23:54
Say for instance, you find somebody who's appropriate, how long does it take to get that person on board Do you have some sense of that as a union president?
6:24:03
First of all, your testimony was excellent.
6:24:05
It must have been quite shocking, to be honest with you.
Ana Champeny
6:24:08
I was meant to be.
Maria Policarpo
6:24:13
So for instance, we have an assistant city assessor list, which was established.
6:24:18
I believe been about 2 years now and hasn't been called from.
6:24:21
And, yeah, and a huge problem with that is it's an entry level position.
6:24:26
Typically, you need 2 years of experience as an assistant in order to become a assessor, and most people need to go through that process.
6:24:35
So if we're waiting 2 years to higher from a list and then another 2 years of them gaining experience to be moved into the assessor title.
6:24:44
It's it's definitely problematic and also another huge problem is that the training staff, because people are retiring at such a fast pace, we don't have many people left in the higher levels.
6:24:57
To do the training for the newcomers.
6:24:59
So it is definitely at a point where it's it's it's a crisis right now.
6:25:03
We have we have a big big problem on our hands.
Gale Brewer
6:25:05
So would you make suggestions?
6:25:07
You did a little bit in your testimony about just overall what should be done?
6:25:11
Would that's something that
Maria Policarpo
6:25:12
we need to hire from that list.
6:25:13
We need at least you know, we're calling for at least a hundred people to be hired.
Gale Brewer
6:25:17
From that list
Maria Policarpo
6:25:18
from that list we have, we're waiting for the assessor open competitive and promotional list to be established.
6:25:24
It was given in September of 23.
6:25:27
So hopefully, that will be moved along shortly.
6:25:30
We have some people who've just moved to.
6:25:32
We have about think it was roughly 15 that were moved into the assessor provisionally.
6:25:38
So hopefully, they can move that list and make them permanent, and we have about another 28 assistance at this point that can hopefully be moved into assess our positions.
Gale Brewer
6:25:48
They're lucky to have US president.
6:25:50
Thank
Maria Policarpo
6:25:50
you.
6:25:51
Thank you.
Justin L. Brannan
6:25:55
Caroline, do you think Albany is doing enough for the migrant crisis?
Carolyn Conroy
6:26:01
I think more resources are resources are needed at the city and the state level, and definitely more can be done.
6:26:06
There are supports that are needed outside of New York City as well.
6:26:09
So I think that we can do more overall.
Justin L. Brannan
6:26:15
And Anna, do you agree with what OMB contends that the rainy day fund should only be used for a recession.
Ana Champeny
6:26:26
Our position has been that there are any data funds should be used for our recession or as an extreme.
6:26:33
Catastrophe or emergency with a significant revenue loss or expenditure impacts So we are not as narrowly defining it as they are.
6:26:45
If what you're asking about is referring to the migraine crisis, I think at this point, we would sort of lean more towards the fact that we aren't at a sort of an emergency crisis that has just happened.
6:26:56
We've been modelling through for quite a while.
6:26:59
And we have recurring costs.
6:27:01
So using the rainy day fund would give you a short term or proof.
6:27:06
Empty out the fund so you don't have it for something else and still leave you with migrant and asylum seekers expenses down the line.
6:27:13
So in this case, we would sort of advise against it.
Justin L. Brannan
6:27:17
Okay.
6:27:18
Any questions, Dean, you're good.
6:27:20
Okay.
6:27:21
Thank you all very much.
6:27:22
Thank you.
Sarita Daftary
6:27:22
I neglected to also thank council member Brewer.
6:27:24
Thank you.
Rita Joseph
6:27:25
Thank you, council member.
6:27:26
Thank you.