Mayor Ryan Vetoes the Elimination of Two Police Officers from 2009 Budget

-Workforce reductions are needed, but must be paired with other departmental changes-



Mayor Matt Ryan this morning announced his veto of City Council’s elimination of two probationary police officers from the proposed 2009 budget.



“I appreciate the Council’s commitment to cost-savings and I support the vast majority of their budget modifications, but cutting two additional police officer positions is untenable at this time,” said Mayor Ryan. “After consulting with Police Chief Zikuski, it’s apparent that restoring these positions is necessary to hold the line on our overtime obligations, support force morale, and maintain neighborhood safety. It’s clear we can reduce the size of our City workforce, but for these changes to be effective, we must first implement other structural reforms as well.”



If Mayor Ryan’s veto stands, this year’s tax increase would be 14.17% for residential properties and 15.06% for commercial properties. That is 0.35% greater than the tax increase under the Council’s proposed budget, and equates to $4.82 for the average homeowner.



A probationary patrol officer’s salary is $33,193, and benefits are roughly $13,300.



Mayor Ryan eliminated seven positions from the City workforce in his proposed 2009 budget, including four from the police department: two patrol officers, a sergeant position, and a lieutenant position. The three others were in Public Works, and included a street maintainer, sewer laborer, and a mechanic. Counting salary and benefits, these cuts will save the City approximately $392,000. Including this year’s proposed budget, Mayor Ryan has reduced the workforce by five positions since coming into office.



“Today’s decision to restore two police positions is ultimately cost-effective, as it will save overtime charges and set us on the path to making the police department even more efficient,” said Mayor Ryan. “These are very tough economic times for our entire country, our state, and our City, and I understand the financial strain now felt by working families and business owners. We’ve worked tirelessly to reduce this year’s budget and provide tax relief to our citizens, and we anticipate the Partnership for Change Initiative will help us achieve more changes that will improve our fiscal health not only today, but also over the long-term.”



Introduced by Mayor Ryan in his 2008 State of the City Address, the Partnership for Change involves four commissions seeking to address the City’s most critical financial issues – personnel costs, sanitation costs, sustainable development and smart growth, and housing and homeownership. The commissions include City Hall staff, City Council, union reps, and community members. Their mid-term reports were issued in August, and final reports are expected early next year.



In August, the Mayor announced a $56 million spending plan for the City’s General Fund that includes a tax increase of 16.93% for residential properties and 17.85% for commercial properties. City Council then modified the budget, cutting $231,939, elevating the estimated sales tax revenue by $580,000, and rendering a tax increase of 13.82% for residential properties and 14.71% for commercial properties.



City Council now has thirty days to consider this veto and present to the Mayor an amended budget.