Tiffany Cusaac-Smith | Rockland/Westchester Journal News

Mark Vergari, mvergari@lohud.com

YONKERS - Mayor Mike Spano has endorsed former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg for president, making Spano one of the first mayors in the state to endorse a 2020 presidential candidate.

Spano was inspired to endorse the billionaire Democratic contender because of Bloomberg’s mayoral experience.

“You learn to appreciate the people who do (the) kind of work that you do for a living,” Spano said of Bloomberg, whose chief political experience was gained through leading New York City. “Our choices that we have to make as a mayor affect people’s daily lives’ directly.

Courtesy of Mike Spano

“When the federal government makes cuts and the states make cuts, it all gets pushed down onto (the) mayor, we don’t have any other place to cut,” Spano said.

Spano’s endorsement comes after Bloomberg addressed the winter meeting of the U.S. Conference of Mayors in Washington, D.C. Bloomberg’s campaign released 11 new mayoral endorsements on Wednesday and said that they are pleased to have Spano’s support.

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“To have the support of Mayor's across the country, and Mayor Spano especially, is a huge moment for our campaign,” said John Calvelli of Pelham, New York state director of Bloomberg's campaign.

The work Spano has done for his city is a great example of what Bloomberg will do for all Americans, Calvelli said.

Mark Vergari/The Journal News

Bloomberg has presented himself as a “doer and a problem-solver” who steered New York City through the aftermath of the 9/11 terror attacks, championed politically unpopular charter schools and made taxes on cigarettes and soda a centerpiece of his health care agenda, according to The Associated Press.

Bloomberg is also touting himself as a business success who turned to public service with an estimated worth of $60 billion from the financial data and media company that bears his name.

Bloomberg was a Republican during his early years as mayor and an independent in his later years. Since leaving office, he registered as a Democrat and has poured hundreds of millions of his own wealth into political causes including gun control, climate change — and defeating Republican officeholders.

For Spano, those reasons and more propelled him to support Bloomberg, who always had a close relationship with him because they were mayors of neighboring cities.

Moreover, Spano said that he admired Bloomberg’s tenure as mayor, pointing to higher test scores and lower crime rates in the city.

Although lauded by some for lowering crime, others have criticized Bloomberg's aggressive “stop-and-frisk” policing, for which Bloomberg recently apologized.

Spano’s endorsement comes just as Bloomberg rolled out an $850 billion 10-year spending plan to rebuild roads, bridges and other infrastructure. Spano said this was key for Yonkers because its needs federal funds to rebuild its overcrowded schools, roads and community centers.

Looking past the democratic nomination, Spano said that Bloomberg is the person to oust President Donald Trump because he is a moderate.

“He's not someone that you're going to find hard left or hard right," Spano said. “He's the type of person to bring all sides together and get us refocused on moving America forward.”