Tag Cloud
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
City Council passes final budget
by Melissa Corker, published on June 21, 2011 at 11:51 PM
Storyline: Politics
Loading images
More than 300 city positions will be eliminated in the coming year after the City Council passed a finalized city budget Tuesday night.
Despite impassioned pleas from members of the Sacramento City Crime Scene Investigation unit and local union representatives, the 14-member CSI unit and 45 sworn police officers are on the chopping block.
The budget passed on a 6-3 vote, with Council members Angelique Ashby, Steve Cohn and Mayor Kevin Johnson each voting against the measure.
The new budget incorporates $4.6 million in one-time resources to close the gap for fiscal year 2011-12. It also funnels $3.36 million into the city’s economic uncertainty reserve fund.
Betty Masuoka, assistant interim city manager, noted that discussions with labor organizations to work toward concessions are under way, however no concessions have been formalized that would impact adopting the budget.
“The budget before you is balanced, and we are asking the council to adopt it tonight,” Masuoka told council members.
According to city manager staff reports, the budget meets the City Council’s goals of developing a sustainable budget plan, carefully using one-time resources and balancing the impact of any layoffs with the benefit of service level decisions.
Masuoka said the city manager and the finance department staff will meet with the council over the next few months to discuss policy questions and strategies that arise from implementation of the budget.
The nearly 70 people in the audience were silent when the council took the final vote.
“I’m just appalled,” said Marcia Mooney, representative from the International Union of Operating Engineers, Local 39. “This really hurts our CSI people and, in the end, the City is going to be worse for it.”
Flag Article As:
Conversation Express your views,
debate, and be heard with those in your area closest
to the issue.
Leave a Comment
I've long advocated that if everyone had been willing to sacrifice something so tiny as to not even be noticeable, we wouldn't have a defict at all. But now that we've waited too long to approach things this way, things everyone values are now going away -- like CSI and adult day-care, which does affect us all (whether we think it does or not).
You know, 1%. Or not even 1%; we'd be in the clear now.
But no, everyone has to say, "We win!".
Enough.
If we don't all start sacrificing soon, we're all gonna be in trouble. Enough.
Okay, so, you conservatives, you win. I'm willing to sacrifice something now. Are you?
Yeah, I didn't think so.
My employer made the decision to freeze spending in 2006 when the recession was determined highly likely, and then made 25% staff and cost cutting in 2007 when the economy started the freefall. As senior managers, we took a 40% pay cut. (my wife’s employer went out of business in 2007 and she has resumed work at a 70% pay reduction)
We have operated the company without profit since then, until this last spring as we are seeing a slight pulse to the economy. We are hoping to get 5% of our pay back next year if the economy keeps bumping along on the bottom. As a real kick, our Health insurance rates have climbed about 23% since the new bill has been approved.
My company has vowed to never expand mfg in California due to the insufferable business climate, and prospects for Sacramento area expansion of any kind are dim at best. My wifes company moved their entire operation overseas, leaving her and a skeleton crew here in Sacramento... for now. Both of our companies routinely do 10% headcount reductions, which thankfully we have dodged so far. And meanwhile our 401k retirement goes up and down with the market.
But ultimately the business will change, and we will need to follow new jobs elsewhere. The trend unfortunately is towards more business friendly cities like Phoenix or Austin.
So, I agree with your point that if the budget had been addressed in a timely manner, the pain would have been much less. But recognize that over the years the employee unions have been quite effective in making sure that our city council is populated by a cast of weak-kneed union puppets.
There are logical, common sense solutions to this longstanding budget crisis. A Wisconsin style change to make union membership voluntary would be a good start. Staff headcount reductions based on merit, not seniority would be another. Conversion to a 401k style retirement plan so taxpayers are not burdened by the unsustainable pension deals and their unfunded liabilities is a 3rd.
Trimming back our bloated fire department to core fire and rescue services, while letting ambulance services be outsourced to lower cost 2 man paramedic crews is a fourth. Outsourced garbage collection is number 5.
The sooner we get started, the sooner we can get our city on track and in a position to compete for those jobs that are now moving to Texas, Arizona, and Nevada. Let's go!
"The mission of the Sacramento Police Department is to work in partnership with the Community to protect life and property, solve neighborhood problems, and enhance the quality of life in our City"
How does "...solve neighborhood problems, and enhance the quality of life in our City" work for someone who doesn't live in OUR City?
OUR City is simply a paycheck...the ends justifys the means? You can't actually vote on council members or the mayor( yet you threw your support behind any written or not written SMI that came along). You don't pay into the general fund any of the city taxes that we residents do pay to try to maintain service levels. You pursue an Agenda of belittling any voice that calls into question your cost to the city as being "haters" and you serve up veiled statements against 6 city councilmembers who took you to task.
How's that work, when you do have the ability to save some of those posisitions, by taking on some of that 32% of current salary pension contribution? Additionally, you are steadfast in your refussal to acknowledge that you worked an unsustainable deal over the last 6 years.
A Police Officer hired July 1, 2005 staying employed thropugh Julne 30, 2013...on base pay alone. no add ons such as POST cert pay, Bachelor's degree education benefit, special duty pay, overtime etc.. will have advanced a minimum of 50% , of that officer's impact to the general fund, based solely on base salary and pension cost, using the very 2005-2010 agreemnt and LOU's available online. If you dissagree with the math....as they say in Missouri: "Show Me"
Pension Contribution and Salary impact to the City General Fund a new officer hired July 1st 2005-Base Pay 48,186.32
July 1, 2005-$63,605.52 (Base Pay + 32% Pension Contribution)
Jan 1, 2009-prior to the "Cuts" and "Sacrifices"-$89.500.25
That's a $25,894.73 Inc in cost over those 4 1/2 years. 40.07% over the initial Base
At this point you are at your top step as a Police Officer, the step freeze had no impact on your future salary...just the defferal of that 5% inc...and supsequently frozen to further inc until 1/1/2011...however "Employees will receive eighty (80) hours of Paid Time Off on June 20, 2009 and forty (40) hours of Paid Time Off on June 19, 2010." While it is used as vacation time, unlike vacation time..it can't be cashed in.
Step freezes were unfrozen as of 12AM 06/18/2011...that's 5% impact for those officers not at the top of their step.
A 2% salary increase across the Board occurred 01/01/2011, another 1% will occur 12/31/2011 and an additional 3 1/2% will occurr 06/30/2012.
Jan 1,2011-$91,290.38
Dec 31,2011-$92,203.29
June 30,2012-$95,453.26 (Base Pay + 32% Pension Contribution)
That's a $31,847.74 Increase in cost over those 7 years. 50.07% over the initial Base
YouWantWhat:
http://blogs.sacbee.com/city-beat/2011/06/police-union-open-to-pension-changes---just-not-now.html
SunTzu wrote:
"The general who advances without coveting fame and retreats without fearing disgrace, whose only thought is to protect his country and do good service for his sovereign, is the jewel of the kingdom"
There is still time to "save face"...become that "jewel"...but it's running out. Your brethren are packing their things and Sacramento Residents and Businesses will face the fall-out.
Follow Your Mission...be a contributor to
"solve neighborhood problems, and enhance the quality of life in our City"
There's a growing chorus, internally and externally, that will hold your 1 note octave of MIMIMI accountable.