Balance the City Budget
Growth of city bureaucracy in the last 13 years has been incredible.
Of the 18 line items on the general fund budget in 1990 seven have increased above the inflation rate by 25% or more. Three of the seven have increased above the inflation rate by more than 100%.
One department, Planning has increased above the inflation rate by more than 300%. (Assumes an inflation rate of 3.5% year or 40% in 11 years.) This is the same department that gave us the Jobs/Pop study. Incidentally, Boulder has a “limited-growth” policy and it’s Planning Department employs 21 planners. Denver, a city five times larger has 22 Planners and all of Stapleton, and Lowry redevelopment to work on.
In 1990 there were 925 full time city employees, today there are 1296, an increase of 40% while our population increased 12%. Something is profoundly wrong with this situation. Many city government expenses have increased three to four times the rate of inflation—a tighter fist with your tax dollars is needed.
Job Cuts?
Yes, some city employees may have to be laid-off or furloughed. But that’s not the only way to achieve a balanced budget. Neither is just asking for more in taxes. This just doesn’t work. We must curb our city spending. If city leaders and city employees work together jobs can be saved—shared sacrifices must rule the day.
I will help the council and city management to find many other ways to cut spending besides job cuts, while maintaining as many city services as is possible. I will seek to revise policies for City employees to be more inline with commercial business and those of other cities.
The council has suggested a reduction of 75 city jobs, and they insist they cannot possibly reduce anymore, but which jobs? Are we cutting more lower-paid workers at the expense of keeping fewer higher-paid managers? Perhaps cutting a few management positions would allow more workers to keep their jobs and perform much needed service work. Remaining managers can manage a few more people.
Other opportunities to save city money
What about attrition, retirement, or unpaid leaves? What about efficiency? Worker evaluations? Are employees performing at their best? What about purchasing values? Are we getting the best competitive buys for materials, supplies, and contracted services? Are we wasting supplies, materials or employee time unnecessarily? Do we purchase and maintain too many city vehicles? Are some people driving city vehicles that aren’t required for their jobs? Why are we subsidizing city parking for employees when we already pay for Eco-Passes? Mixed messages?
What about holidays, sick days, and vacation time? Are these benefits reflective of workers in the “real world?” Cuts may be made here, and this may make it possible to maintain other city services, and city workers to remain employed. I know this is unpleasant for city employees, but many workers in the private sector are suffering to a much greater degree.