City parks employees may be facing furloughs

To save some green, the city may end up forcing its full-time parks employees to take six-month furloughs, the head of their union told amNewYork Tuesday.

If that happens, the parks will be in trouble, said Dilcy Benn, president of Local 1505.

“It’s going to be dirtier and there’s going to be a lot more crime if there’s no one to monitor,” said Benn, whose members perform maintenance, safety checks of facilities and garbage disposal at the parks.

Benn said under the latest city budget proposal, 500 of her 900 members would be asked to voluntarily take six months off. And then workers will be chosen for the furlough if 500 volunteers do not come forward. She said, however, it wouldn’t happen until after the summer.

A parks department spokeswoman disputed the proposal, saying there are “no furloughs planned or discussed at this time.”