New leading economic indicator — burying bad news on a Friday:

City Councilman David Weprin, chairman of the Finance Committee, is standing by his cell phone, waiting for word on what’s in the mayor’s preliminary executive budget.

“It’s the first time I remember in my eight years here that the mayor is releasing his budget on a Friday,” Weprin said in a brief conversation.

What does that tell you?

“That it’s not going to be a good-news budget,” he said.