Our president, Rod Jones, remembers the darkest days of COVID—when our frontline staff carried official letters from the city authorizing them to be out delivering services during lockdown. “We had employees on the street risking their lives because we considered them essential,” he said yesterday at a boisterous rally in front of City Hall—”which typifies the work that we do to keep New York strong.”
But the city hasn’t shown a similar dedication in the way it compensates providers. The administration owes Goddard $15 million dollars on contracts, Jones continued. This has forced us to delay paying our own bills and take out ever more expensive lines of credit.
“We owe vendors back 190 days, to the point that calls don’t work anymore—they show up to our office and dun us, while the mayor yet talks about the A rating of the city. Well, that A rating is on the backs of nonprofits,” he said.
“Enough is enough, and it’s time for us to be paid.”
Other human service agencies are also owed millions. It’s a problem that dates back to the DeBlasio administration but has worsened under Mayor Adams. Nonprofits have been working together to push back, and Jones has taken a leading role. In addition to speaking at the rally, he submitted testimony to a City Council hearing on the issue yesterday. He was also quoted in an April 15 story in City and State Magazine.