Mayor breaks down budget plan

DOWNTOWN TOLEDO - In an afternoon news conference at the Toledo-Lucas County Public Library, Mayor Carty Finkbeiner outlined a 14-step plan to curb the ever-growing 2008 and 2009 budget deficit.

Wide-spread cuts and revenue enhancements are in the cards, but he says his proposal will ensure citizens are protected while balancing the budget.

Mr. Finkbeiner said that numbers have been crunched, and the budget hole now stands at $14 million for both 2008 and 2009.

"Difficult times demand difficult decisions."

The 14-step plan aims to fix the budget with limited layoffs.

"We will solve the challenge of a very anemic economy and weather our way through and we will be stronger at the end of this time period," the mayor said before a crowd of city administrators, department heads, and city workers.

The most significant part of his proposal includes the fire department. Part of the plan calls for placing a piece of fire equipment out of service and reassigning staff (from 103 to 99) within the fire department - a move that will save the city $2.5 million.

Finkbeiner is looking to save $500,000 with fire service billing, basically charging insurance companies for clean-up after a fire.

Under the mayor's proposal there will be no police or fire layoffs, but staring Feb. 14, 12 supervisors who are part of AFSCME Local 2058 will be laid off indefinitely.

Around 150 exempt city workers are expected to reduce there work week to four nine-hour days.

Finkbeiner's plan outline, though, left some members of council in an uproar.

"This should not be a war between the mayor and city council," Councilman D. Michael Collins said. "This should be a unified effort to pull us through one of the most difficult times this city has faced since the depression of the middle thirties."

"And why the mayor would choose to go down to the main library instead of coming down here from the 22nd floor is beyond me," added Councilwoman Lindsay Webb.

The police department will be expected to cut nearly a $500,000 from its general fund budget. Chief Mike Navarre said that will be done through reducing overtime spending and attrition.

An estimated 35 police men and women are expected to retire from the department this year.

The mayor's balancing act also calls for police and fire union concessions. Both union contracts expired Dec. 31, 2008, but Mr. Finkbeiner believes $1.4 million can be saved if the unions agree to a mandatory 5-day furlough, co-pays for healthcare, and a reduction of the amount the city pays to the state pension fund.

It's the same package AFSCME Local 7 agreed to that is saving $3.5 million. The mayor said it's an example of sacrifices that need to be made during this recession.

The mayor also wants residents who live in Toledo, but work other places to pay an income tax. This would affect about 19,000 and raise around $5 million for the Glass City.

The final four components of the plan include transferring monies from the Capital Improvements Fund, reducing the fuel budget, automating garbage collection, and freezing the solid waste fee.
 

(FOX Toledo's Heather Miller contributed to this report)