Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced Friday that he will begin sending letters next week demanding new across-the-board cuts from city agencies as hope for additional state funding fades.

�Next week, we will send out a letter to all the agencies requiring them to give us plans in the next few weeks on how we�re going to reduce our expenses by another $600 million,� the mayor told WOR�s John Gambling during his weekly radio sit-down.

�We�re going to go ahead and do this. We don�t have any choice. And it�s really hard to see how Albany can come up with enough money to make a difference,� Bloomberg said. �Nobody�s going to be happy.�

But Bloomberg did say he was �optimistic� about reaching a deal with the governor over replacing the state�s seniority-based teacher firing laws with a merit-based system following a week of heated rhetoric that had the two men going head-to-head.

�Cuomo and I will work something out. I�m optimistic. I�ve always been,� said Bloomberg, echoing comments the governor made Thursday saying the two would work together to find a plan.

(Source: DNA Info)