Layoff notices handed out to police

TOLEDO, Ohio (WUPW) - The city of Toledo on Monday issued 137.5 layoff notices in an effort to present a balanced budget by March 31.

The layoff measures would be in addition to other cuts and revenue enhancements that have been proposed for council approval, but not yet acted upon. The cuts so far would result in the elimination of 125 police officers and 32.5 other non-essential general fund positions - some of which are currently vacant.

The police cuts were not as deep as expected. Still, those receiving layoff notices include the 75 officers who were laid off for several months in the first-half of 2009.

Presently, police department staffing is at 592, the lowest level in years. If the 125 police layoffs are approved by council to help stable the budget, the city's police staff will be down to 450 officers.

"It makes it next to impossible to run any police operations other then responding to calls and taking reports," said Dan Wagner, Toledo Police Patrolman's Association president.

Wagner said Police Chief Mike Navarre has a plan in place if the layoffs go into effect. Most programs in the department like vice, SWAT and gangs would all be dismantled, leaving only a few detectives and the rest patrolling the streets, similar to what took place in 2009.

The 75 police officers laid off in 2009 were brought back on the force with the Department of Justice Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Hiring Recovery Program grant. If they are laid off again, the city would forfeit the grant, and have to pay back at least $1.6 million.

The proposed layoffs will save the city $11 million in 2010.

Chief Navarre did not comment on the city's move.

"This is the bottom line where we can go from the stand point of what we can provide and past that we'd have to go to a fiscal emergency, because this is as low as we can bring services," Mayor Michael Bell said. "Realizing we had to have a balanced budget by March 31, we needed to be able to move forward and make sure we have our ducks in a line in case council chooses not to move in a direction we recommended to them."

An equal 125 firefighters were supposed to be part of the group receiving pink slips, but Mayor Bell said in a morning meeting that the city's fire union Local 92 took very positive actions. He decided to back off on those layoffs at least until they meet again on Wednesday. Negotiations are said to be moving in a positive direction, possibly toward concessions.

Police and other city employees received notices Monday that due to the budget crisis their positions would be eliminated due to a lack of funding. The layoffs are effective April 15.

All these layoffs and cuts are contingent on what council decides at their next meeting. If they vote for the mayor's Bell's original proposals to balance the budget, these layoffs may never happen. Mr. Bell also says if the TPPA agree to concessions they too could be spared from the cuts.

While Mayor Bell has sought to prevent layoffs due to the impact they will have on public safety, response time and service delivery, the cuts become unavoidable as the clock counts down to the March 31 deadline, when the city is required to pass a balanced budget.

Mr. Bell has proposed approximately $28 million in other initiatives that would balance the remaining deficit without layoffs, but the impending deadline requires "Plan B" to be set in action while council continues to deliberate on those proposals.

Toledo is facing a $48.2 million budget deficit.

The Bell administration is working to implement nearly $23 million in spending reductions and revenue enhancements through administrative changes. The remaining $25 million gap must be closed before March 31.

The mayor has submitted several legislative proposals to city council including exigency to alter union contracts, elimination of the 100-percent tax credit; an admission tax for sports and cultural events, and a $15 refuse fee. Those proposals total approximately $28 million.

FOX Toledo News reporter Michelle Zepeda contributed to this report