For city employees, the sour financial climate for the city will likely mean cuts to pay and benefits, unpaid days off and possibly lay-off notices to anywhere from 50 to 120 city employees by 2013.
For people who live in Tracy, the city that has already raised some fees could do so again — with the City Council on Tuesday poised to consider charging up to $300 when the fire department shows up to a medical call.
The summary of the proposed budget released Thursday by City Manager Leon Churchill is punctuated with bleak financial forecasts and shows sales and property tax revenues that are off 20 percent in the past two years. Unless drastic cuts are made, the city would spend $14 million more than it takes in by 2012.
Tracy plans to use $7.4 million of its reserves to balance its budget in the 2009-10 fiscal year, leaving it with $25.4 million in the bank, down from $38.7 million just two years ago.
Tracy projects a $53.8 million general fund, the piece of its budget that pays for the city’s 535 employees. Overall, Tracy has a projected $160.8 million budget.
Tracy is negotiating with its employee unions and what they call “bargaining units,” groups of employees that are paid under one contract but without the status of a union.
The council is also being asked to ditch its “no employee layoff” policy and is trying to negotiate with employees for concessions. Some managers are set to swallow furloughs that will cut their pay by 3 percent, and department heads will likely take an additional 5 percent pay cut.
But the city has yet to work out an agreement with the Teamsters union, which represents about 150 city workers, who are being asked to voluntarily take pay cuts before their contracts expire.
Even with concessions, the city might be forced to end its roughly $1 million subsidy to the Grand Theatre Center for the Arts and turn over the downtown theater to a nonprofit.
The city might also have to consider ending the Mayor’s Community Support Youth Network, which tries to help kids but costs the city $1 million a year.
And it could consider asking voters to vote for a parcel tax at $150 per property, as well as an annual $100 landscape tax, which together could bring the city nearly $.5 million.
• To reach City Editor Eric Firpo: 830-4232 or efirpo@tracypress.com.
How "effective" is the Marketing Manager, the City Manager, the Budget Manager, even the District Attorney?
Reduce their salaries by every consult?
""If city administrators are taking advice from consultants and going forward with their ideas, why not just fire the administrators and hire consultants to do their jobs?""
would you have two teachers in a class room, one consulting another, two doctors in office, one consulting another (happens often, though, but not with same patient), two principles in schools one consulting another, OR EVEN TWO MAYORS.. one consulting another??? Sounds stupid? I sure do think so!
Less consultants and more use of their own brain??? Tracyites do pay them to think with their own brains, they didn't vote for consultants?
Yeah, CN - that is why I was so mad and went crazy with all my anger and ended up in prison with you - cause I lost my job :) haha I'm alright as long as you're my cell buddy :)
Yeah, they have to take accountability on their decision in hiring the outside consultants, good grief!! Consultants hands are clean, theirs hold their advices....
Wondered how much the city paid on consultants since the hiring of Leon Churchill?
This is our money your screwing with Leon. If my house is on fire, I want a Firefighter and their equipment there. If a bad guy wants in my house, I want a Cop there now. If the roadway to work is damaged, I want it fixed ASAP Mr. Churchill. If you can't do your job as directed by the City Council...
The other half to look at is that all city employees must take cuts in the form of pay and/or benefits to make things work. The "reserve" will only last so long.
ALL CITY EMPLOYEES SHOULD~
1. Get only one week of paid vacation a year instead of 2 and 3 week vacations.
2. Reduce paid holidays from 12 days to 6 days.
3. Stop paying for on going training sessions given at City Hall for Public Safety Workers when it incurs mandatory overtime.
"Administrators made the decisions and seeing the results of their decisions"
Our city administrators make the big decisions but only after they receive input from high paid consultants. LOOOOL
How much of it?
Darn, shelly13, I am sorry to hear you lost your job!!!!
Are the poplace so far removed from the minds of the elites' when struggling through the day to make ends meet?
Imagine Leon Churchill sitting down for a meal with an homeless??? Any of them? They need real introduction to the faces the people see everyday.. fear of losing everything!
shelly13....Glad that pimply faced murderous guy is not going to join us in the cell! Who wants to watch a person eat "Kibbles and Bits", just makes me cry! LOL
Other top paid salaried employees can forgo their annual raise increases this year? Or take cut in pay?
We took 3 percent cut in pay, and we don't even make that kind of income the city administrators make!
Administrators made the decisions and seeing the results of their decisions, they need to fix the problem not the people?
I am not a sue happy person at all, but if that were to happen I'd like to see the city learn their lesson the hard way and have a wrongful death suit come up agaisnt them, if this in fact was a factor in someone getting help.
Just ONE??? :) I think there are numerous assistant positions that can be eliminated also. If not eliminated, at least demoted to a lower pay scale.
I would not hesitate either, but same could not be said for those on fixed incomes and facing hardships.
All the more reason to re-visit the budget and start squirreling away money for this $300 emergency jar.
Hope Ives and Leon will also revisit their budget, transfer the surplus funds to the future allotment to replace lost funds due to lack of property tax to fill the revenue?
Leave the people's needs alone, if anything, city should enhance the lives of the public?
Let go one of the 6 digit salaried employee?
Even though the city, and its residents, are falling under hard times right now, it would be wise for city council to really think this over if they ever want to be re-elected again.
If they do approve the $300, I would not hesitate to dial 9-1-1 if any of my family members needed medical assistance. You can't beat the service of FD or AMR.
Not liking the $300 charge, agreeing with thetruthteller.
Leave budget, where people's lifes are concerned, alone, in fact more should go into the protection of the people? (So no one would have to call the FD?)