6:21 p.m.:
The conversation is back to the City Council. Mayor Ann Johnston said, “Not a good scenario by any means.”
6:23 p.m.:
Councilwoman Leslie Baranco Martin: “What does it cost to run the entire library system, and what does it cost to run the recreation department?” She said staff made a decision that “there are some departments that have to exist” even though law enforcement is being considered for a reduction. She said, “I think there’s some assumptions … maybe the council needs to talk about this, whether or not we are making the assumption” that library and parks and recreation departments should remain at all.
O’Rourke said the exercise tonight was to have departments consider how to reduce the scope of their services, while maintaining core services.
“It doesn’t mean you have to accept them,” he said.
Martin said part of the discussion must be about priorities. She is asking if all services are necessary to ensure a safe city.
O’Rourke said, “You could keep only the police and fire department … go from being a full service city to a public safety city” and still not have fixed its budget problem.
Councilman Dale Fritchen: “In the meetings with labor groups, have we completely excluded meeting” with fire? O’Rourke said he would talk with the fire union about employee concessions.
Fritchen is asking what no civilian response to calls for service would entail. Police Chief Blair Ulring said “we would actually take quantum leaps backwards” to when the department only had police officers, not civilian community service officers.
Regarding reduced traffic and DUI enforcement, Budget Officer Joe Maestretti said the city did a “rough estimate” about revenue loss related to decreased enforcement and said it is figured in to some extent.
Regarding investigations, Ulring said, “We would have to take a reduction in the property crime side of investigations.” He said the department would not investigate property crimes, for the most part. Much of that has to do with identity theft reports.
Ulring said, “I don’t believe these draconian levels of cuts in the Police Department would allow us in the Police Department to do what we are here to do,” which he said is to keep the public safe.
O’Rourke said, “This level of cuts seems almost absurd to even think about. Yet, unless we get major changes in how we pay and benefit our people” it is the city’s real option.
Budget Officer Joe Maestretti said that about $8 million of the $14 million in budget deficit is from increasing labor costs, either through expiring concessions or additional benefits per contract.
O’Rourke said he will be asking unions to consider extending the concessions through the end of labor agreements.
Fritchen said, “If employees stay receiving what they receive right now … it will save $8 million a year?”
Maestretti said, “That is our estimate.”
Councilwoman Susan Eggman said, “I don’t want to call this a game.” However, she said, “I suppose if we have to we’ll make these cuts.” However, she is asking what is the timeline for negotiating with labor.
O’Rourke said he is setting up labor meetings for March, to see if unions will at least extend concessions.
He said, “It takes two to sign an agreement. … It isn’t like the labor groups kind of snookered us into some kind of deal.” He said that both the city and the unions own the agreements they have. He said it is not the case that the unions are “bad guys.”
Eggman said, “We’ve all danced together, and now the music has changed.”
Mayor Ann Johnston said fire should be at the table, too. She said, “Fire is not a privileged class.” She said fire is a problem. She said the department needs to come to the table, “No more mickey mousing around.” Johnston said she is ready to put three men on a truck. She is ready to go there, she said. O’Rourke said the city by contract cannot go there.
Vice Mayor Kathy Miller said council members are aware of concessions that have been made. She said, however, that they are not enough. She said the level of cuts being proposed is not acceptable.
Miller said, “If we have to make these cuts, we’re going to make them.” She said, “We don’t have a choice.”
Fritchen said he has “gotten tired” of “preschool, adolescent” games in which people say they will not make concessions until others do (that has to do mostly with police and fire).
Fritchen is asking if the council can write into labor concessions whether concessions can stay within a union (If police make concessions, can the jobs saved be cops?). Human Resources Director Dianna Garcia said the city has done exactly that in the past. She said, “We try to do that.”
Fritchen said that employee groups will have to make concessions just to make up for money the Fire Department is over budget.
Fritchen said, “I feel like I have less power than last year.” He said, “It’s now in the hands of the employee groups. If you don’t want people laid off … it’s their decision.”
“If they don’t come forward with concessions,” Fritchen said, their “co-workers” will lose jobs.
6:52 p.m.:
Councilwoman Susan Eggman said the purpose of labor groups is for the “good of the whole.” She said labor changes can be made now or later but that there will be change. She spoke directly to them, “Let’s think about the good of the whole.”
Martin said that if labor groups do not come to the table, it is reasonable to discuss what departments must be funded.
O’Rourke said that by the next budget hearing staff will evaluate what services are required by City Charter for the city to provide.
Reporter Daniel Thigpen has been with The Record since 2006. A North Carolina native, he's worked at newspapers in the Tar Heel state, Tacoma, Wash., and Northern California. Read Full
More from City Hall: Ulring, Year 2 (draconian cuts and safety), and an assault from the dais on fire
6:21 p.m.:
The conversation is back to the City Council. Mayor Ann Johnston said, “Not a good scenario by any means.”
6:23 p.m.:
Councilwoman Leslie Baranco Martin: “What does it cost to run the entire library system, and what does it cost to run the recreation department?” She said staff made a decision that “there are some departments that have to exist” even though law enforcement is being considered for a reduction. She said, “I think there’s some assumptions … maybe the council needs to talk about this, whether or not we are making the assumption” that library and parks and recreation departments should remain at all.
O’Rourke said the exercise tonight was to have departments consider how to reduce the scope of their services, while maintaining core services.
“It doesn’t mean you have to accept them,” he said.
Martin said part of the discussion must be about priorities. She is asking if all services are necessary to ensure a safe city.
O’Rourke said, “You could keep only the police and fire department … go from being a full service city to a public safety city” and still not have fixed its budget problem.
Councilman Dale Fritchen: “In the meetings with labor groups, have we completely excluded meeting” with fire? O’Rourke said he would talk with the fire union about employee concessions.
Fritchen is asking what no civilian response to calls for service would entail. Police Chief Blair Ulring said “we would actually take quantum leaps backwards” to when the department only had police officers, not civilian community service officers.
Regarding reduced traffic and DUI enforcement, Budget Officer Joe Maestretti said the city did a “rough estimate” about revenue loss related to decreased enforcement and said it is figured in to some extent.
Regarding investigations, Ulring said, “We would have to take a reduction in the property crime side of investigations.” He said the department would not investigate property crimes, for the most part. Much of that has to do with identity theft reports.
Ulring said, “I don’t believe these draconian levels of cuts in the Police Department would allow us in the Police Department to do what we are here to do,” which he said is to keep the public safe.
O’Rourke said, “This level of cuts seems almost absurd to even think about. Yet, unless we get major changes in how we pay and benefit our people” it is the city’s real option.
Budget Officer Joe Maestretti said that about $8 million of the $14 million in budget deficit is from increasing labor costs, either through expiring concessions or additional benefits per contract.
O’Rourke said he will be asking unions to consider extending the concessions through the end of labor agreements.
Fritchen said, “If employees stay receiving what they receive right now … it will save $8 million a year?”
Maestretti said, “That is our estimate.”
Councilwoman Susan Eggman said, “I don’t want to call this a game.” However, she said, “I suppose if we have to we’ll make these cuts.” However, she is asking what is the timeline for negotiating with labor.
O’Rourke said he is setting up labor meetings for March, to see if unions will at least extend concessions.
He said, “It takes two to sign an agreement. … It isn’t like the labor groups kind of snookered us into some kind of deal.” He said that both the city and the unions own the agreements they have. He said it is not the case that the unions are “bad guys.”
Eggman said, “We’ve all danced together, and now the music has changed.”
Mayor Ann Johnston said fire should be at the table, too. She said, “Fire is not a privileged class.” She said fire is a problem. She said the department needs to come to the table, “No more mickey mousing around.” Johnston said she is ready to put three men on a truck. She is ready to go there, she said. O’Rourke said the city by contract cannot go there.
Vice Mayor Kathy Miller said council members are aware of concessions that have been made. She said, however, that they are not enough. She said the level of cuts being proposed is not acceptable.
Miller said, “If we have to make these cuts, we’re going to make them.” She said, “We don’t have a choice.”
Fritchen said he has “gotten tired” of “preschool, adolescent” games in which people say they will not make concessions until others do (that has to do mostly with police and fire).
Fritchen is asking if the council can write into labor concessions whether concessions can stay within a union (If police make concessions, can the jobs saved be cops?). Human Resources Director Dianna Garcia said the city has done exactly that in the past. She said, “We try to do that.”
Fritchen said that employee groups will have to make concessions just to make up for money the Fire Department is over budget.
Fritchen said, “I feel like I have less power than last year.” He said, “It’s now in the hands of the employee groups. If you don’t want people laid off … it’s their decision.”
“If they don’t come forward with concessions,” Fritchen said, their “co-workers” will lose jobs.
6:52 p.m.:
Councilwoman Susan Eggman said the purpose of labor groups is for the “good of the whole.” She said labor changes can be made now or later but that there will be change. She spoke directly to them, “Let’s think about the good of the whole.”
Martin said that if labor groups do not come to the table, it is reasonable to discuss what departments must be funded.
O’Rourke said that by the next budget hearing staff will evaluate what services are required by City Charter for the city to provide.