Layoffs of about 100 police officers and nearly 50 Fire Department staffers are listed as possible budget cuts in the city’s proposed 2011/2012 budget, scheduled to be released Friday. The city released a summary of the budget recommendations from Interim City Manager Bill Edgar and Interim Deputy City Manager Betty Masuoka late Thursday afternoon. The budget was largely put together by previous Interim City Manager Gus Vina, who resigned last month.  The city manager’s office recommends tha... KathleenHaley Kathleen Haley comment-52164 2011-06-14T23:10:19Z 2011-06-14T23:10:19Z UPDATE: When talking about the proposed cuts at a May press conference, Jaymes Butler of Sacramento Area Fire Fighters Local 522 said firefighters would be “laid off.” However, when pressed by reporters if there would be “out-the-door” layoffs, Butler said that 49 positions slated for cuts were not filled and no current workers would actually be laid off. http://www.sacramentopress.com/headline/51130/Council_sets_new_hearing_on_parks_police_and_fire Kathleen Haley 2011-06-14T23:10:19Z Kathleen Haley comment-49949 2011-04-29T19:19:56Z 2011-04-29T19:19:56Z I just talked to Norm Leong at the Police Department. He said 18 of the 98 positions slotted for cuts in the Police Department are vacant right now. So, that means 98 positions are slated for cuts, and 80 actual sworn officers would be laid off. Kathleen Haley 2011-04-29T19:19:56Z Casey Kirk comment-49948 2011-04-29T18:44:14Z 2011-04-29T18:44:14Z Agreed, Larry. Casey Kirk 2011-04-29T18:44:14Z YouWantWhat comment-49947 2011-04-29T21:37:41Z 2011-04-29T21:37:41Z Lisa, in all fairness, have you read the city auditor's audit report of health and pension benefits and the recommendations based on that audit? There is a quick link to the pdf on the city's home page, which I have copied here: http://www.cityofsacramento.org/auditor/documents/audit_reports/Audit_of_Employee_Health_and_Pension_Benefits.pdf With regards to pensions, check out sworn police, fire and exempt vs the rank and file along with the recommendations of bringing everyone into line with the same % contribution formula. Currently the actual employee contribution to pensions for PD, Fire and Exempt management is 0. With one exception other city employees contribute 4%. However, to really "wrap your arms" around the bigger picture on pensions,look at page 33 exhibit 25 to see where some of that long term imbalance and imploding cost are occurring. I strongly urge you and everyone to read that audit report. Quoting From that chart's summary: "As seen above(referring to the chart, exhibit 25) the City contributed the equivalent of between about 14.2 and 31.6 percent of salaries towards CalPERS pensions. In 2009-10, the City paid $44.7 million for the employer contribution and about $16.7 million towards the employee contribution. Employees who contributed to the employee portion paid about $4.8 million towards their pensions. Based on CalPERS’ projections, and assuming that the City contributes to the employee share in the same way and that this percent remains the same, the City will contribute the equivalent of between 17.6 and 42.6 percent of salaries towards pensions in 2013-14. This is a troubling trend and one that if left unchecked, could significantly impact the City’s finances. Requiring all employees to contribute to the employee share of their pensions would save the City millions over the next few years. Such a change would require negotiations with labor unions, as contribution rates are set in labor agreements. As noted above, some employees already contribute 4 percent of their salaries to the employee contribution. If all employees contributed 4 percent to their pensions, the City would save about $39.7 million over the next five years – or about $7.9 million on average per year. " YouWantWhat 2011-04-29T21:37:41Z Craig Powell comment-49944 2011-04-29T17:36:24Z 2011-04-29T17:36:24Z Just to correct the record: police and fire employees, as well as city managers, currently pay nothing towards their pensions. The city picks up both the employer's and employee's share of such employess' pension contributions to PERS. Other city employees do make some contribution to their pensions. Craig Powell 2011-04-29T17:36:24Z cogmeyer comment-49942 2011-04-29T16:22:07Z 2011-04-29T16:22:07Z Per the summary document in the article, there are currently 4078 Full Time positions in the city of Sacramento. It is interesting that among these 4078 positions that the city would primarily look to the Police Dept to make the cuts. I am not a fan of reductions to our police force (and I misguidedly voted for KJ on the hope that he would do more to address crime than Heather). But at the same time as long as there are new recruits literally waiting in line to attend the academy and join the police force, it really does seem like there is a structural problem in how compensate our police force that is a big part of the problem. So yes, to an extent, the police union has brought some of this upon themselves. cogmeyer 2011-04-29T16:22:07Z trapper comment-49940 2011-04-29T14:02:04Z 2011-04-29T14:02:04Z As the economy continues to slow and go into a double dip, watch crime get worse and our cities going to have few police to respond. Public safety should be our city leaders first responsibly, instead the city council gives millions of dollars in subsidies to developers so cars car drive on K Street again. Where are their priorities? trapper 2011-04-29T14:02:04Z LARRY MEADE comment-49938 2011-04-29T08:28:07Z 2011-04-29T08:28:07Z If KJ could get local leaders to pledge money to keep a basketball team where millionaires pay other millionaires to play basketball, he should be able to find money to save the jobs of people who keep us safe. LARRY MEADE 2011-04-29T08:28:07Z LisaB23 comment-49936 2011-04-29T05:41:07Z 2011-04-29T05:41:07Z The nerve of those who literally put their life in danger every day to have any kind of health insurance or retirement security or death and survivor benefits. Most safety personnel do not have social security benefits due to complex tax rules that preclude it if they have an existing retirement system and safety personnel pay anywhere from 10 to 15% of their salary into their retirement system. Do you put 15% of your salary away into retirement? If you did, put away 15% of your salary away for 20-30 years, even with a crappy 401(k) your retirement prospects wouldn't look so bleak. LisaB23 2011-04-29T05:41:07Z Rhys02 comment-49935 2011-04-29T04:20:53Z 2011-04-29T04:20:53Z Police and Fire have only their own bloated benefits packages and antiquated work rules to blame... It is about time they took a hit instead of the rest of the city workers paying for their excesses. Rhys02 2011-04-29T04:20:53Z