New York, NY —

City Council Speaker Christine Quinn says Council members have met Mayor Bloomberg's challenge to find more budget cuts to help the city close the budget gap. WNYC's Bob Hennelly reports.

REPORTER: All totaled Quinn says the proposed cuts will save a half-billion dollars in fiscal years '09 and '10. They include saving $6 million by having teachers perform jury duty only on summer vacations and close to $14 million by not picking up grass clippings. She hopes these proposals will reduce pressure to cut spending at the neighborhood school level and thaw a hiring freeze on the police department.

Also this week the Council is expected to move ahead with a one-percent hotel tax increase that could generate another $70 million this year and double that in 2010. Still to be settled when, or if, homeowners get the $400 rebate checks they were promised. For WNYC, I am Bob Hennelly.