Grand Concourse silent protesters bring banner to city hall
Mayor Dennis O'Keefe asked men to leave council chambers
A group of men silently protested cuts to the Grand Concourse Authority during a sitting of St. John's city council Monday, claiming 10 people have lost their jobs as a result of the recent budget.
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They held a sign saying, "10 hard working family men; dedicated & proud! Casualities of COSJ [City of St. John's] budget 2016!"
Mayor Dennis O'Keefe asked the men to recognize the rules of the chamber, which includes not having any signage.
"Again, I would ask you to respect the rules of the chamber, just as we respect you as employees of the GCA," O'Keefe said.
In January, the city cut the Grand Concourse Authority's budget by $390,000 — a cut that amounts to 43 percent of the organization's maintenance budget.
The GCA, which maintains walking trails and green spaces throughout the city, said it had almost no notice of the cut.
However, at the time, O'Keefe said everyone was aware of changes. In fact, the mayor said, they had known for two years.
"The changes have nothing to do with budget cuts, we are adhering to the public tendering act," said Deputy Mayor Ron Ellsworth.
"The approximately $430,000 reduction to GCA is not a savings. It's the value of previous years' work that is required to be done in house or tendered."
