NEW YORK, NY July 10, 2009 —Mayor Bloomberg has rescinded his hiring freeze, after Senators finally approved the city's request for a half percentage point sales tax increase. The bill had been stalled during the Senate's 31-day power struggle.

REPORTER: Speaking on his radio show on WOR, the mayor says the sales tax hike will bring $60 million extra a month to the city.

BLOOMBERG: We can now go ahead and I will unfreeze the hiring freeze we had....We're not hiring willy nilly.

REPORTER: He says the city will go ahead and allow 250 cadets to enter the Police Academy, hire 150 firefighters, and fill some 400 other public safety positions, including emergency medical technicians and school safety officers.

The Senate also passed a repeal of the city's unincorporated business tax. Bloomberg praised the move saying it will prevent the city's some 17,000 small business owners and freelancers from being double taxed.