What will be the impact on programs and services if the budget is reduced by $5 million?
The City made drastic reductions this fiscal year (FY09/10) in order to adopt a balanced budget. This included a permanent reduction of $1.4 million resulting in the loss of 15 positions through layoffs, early retirements and the elimination of vacant positions. It also included the implementation of employee furloughs during the current fiscal year. These actions represent the loss of approximately 40,000 hours of productive work time, which necessarily translates to the loss of services and programs. Recreation programs, in particular, have suffered due to these cutbacks. Notwithstanding the considerable effort being made to find ways to minimize reductions, the actions required to lower expenditures by $5 million will impact virtually every program and service the City provides, including street and park maintenance, recreation programs and public safety. No decisions about any program or service have been made yet and will not be made until the community, employees and other stakeh
