Mayor Phil Amicone on Monday called on Yonkers' fire and police unions to renegotiate their contracts to help address the city's fiscal crisis.

The proposal to renegotiate with municipal union members comes on the heels of layoffs and spending cuts announced by Amicone last week, steps he says are needed in light of the sagging economy and the city's $16 million budget deficit.

Liam McLaughlin, the minority leader of the Yonkers City Council, says the city's budget crisis should be blamed on Amicone, not the slumping economy.

"The mayor has completely mismanaged the city's finances," says McLaughlin, who like Amicone is a Republican.

However, at a dedication ceremony for new affordable housing Monday, Amicone said McLaughlin and other council members knew about the city's fiscal troubles.

"We have done this on a regular basis, reduced police overtime in the budget so that they could reduce the tax increases," says the mayor.

The council is considering its own cost-cutting proposal, but the budget is largely out of its control at this point. Amicone has sole authority to make changes to the city's budget halfway through the fiscal year.