Long Beach, a city on Long Island, is proposing to become the first municipality in New York to designate September 11th as an official holiday. The plan, announced by City Council Vice President Chris Fiumara, would grant city workers a paid day off.
Fiumara, who survived being in one of the Twin Towers on September 11, 2001, made the announcement at the city's annual memorial ceremony. While the designation would apply to city employees, local schools would not be affected and would continue with their scheduled classes. The change would need to be worked out with unionized workers.
Nationally, September 11th is recognized as Patriot Day and a National Day of Remembrance, but it is not an official state or federal holiday. Several other municipalities across the country have established September 11th as a paid holiday for public employees. Monmouth County, New Jersey, has observed it as a public holiday since 2023.
In 2017, the village of Amityville, also on Long Island, initially recognized September 11th as a holiday, providing public employees with the day off. However, the village later reversed this decision due to a limitation on paid holidays, requiring employees to choose between September 11th and Veterans Day, with Veterans Day ultimately being prioritized. City Manager Daniel Creighton acknowledged that Long Beach might encounter similar challenges in negotiating with unionized workers.
Local school districts operate independently of the City Council. Any decision to make September 11th a school holiday would require approval from the Board of Education and subsequent arrangements with unionized teachers. The timeline for officially enacting this holiday in Long Beach remains uncertain.