City Council members had a variety of reactions to the draft budget presented by Interim City Manager Gus Vina Tuesday night.

The draft was first released April 30, when Vina proposed layoffs of as many as 200 city employees in an effort to balance the city budget and reduce the $43 million gap. Among other things, the draft budget aims to make $14.6 million through cuts to programs and services and $19.6 million by removing all vacant city positions and possible labor union concessions. The draft also proposes to apply $8.8 million in other funds to the budget.

While Vina said layoffs were unlikely at Tuesday’s meeting, council members found issues with other aspects of the draft.

Lauren Hammond, for one, was curious as to why the city needs the Sacramento Regional Solid Waste Authority after it refused to make a bid for commercial waste collection in Sacramento.

Hammond also raised a complaint about a proposal to reduce the city service hours to four days a week. She claimed that city services like loose-in-the-street green waste pickup are already struggling to operate within a five-day workweek. Reducing the hours could become even more problematic. “We need to be cognitive that there are things that should be done in a certain order,” Hammond said.

Sandy Sheedy found issues with the draft itself. Sheedy felt that neither the council nor the public was given enough information about the budget. “I want this to be as transparent as possible,” she said. “I’m a little disappointed in what I see.”

Mayor Kevin Johnson stressed the importance of protecting the police force from budget cuts. “All of us are eager to dive a little bit deeper a little bit quicker,” Johnson said. “I want to reiterate our commitment to public safety. We want to be a full-service city.”

Yet another opinion offered on the draft budget came from Bonnie Pannell. “I’m disappointed in at least one of the recommendations,” Pannell said, who found issue with the fact that one of the programs proposed to be cut was the city's racial profiling committee.

Betty Williams, president of the Sacramento chapter of NAACP , also objected to cutting that committee. “It’s imperative that we maintain investment in our city,” Williams said. “I would like NAACP to be a part of the partnership in the discussion of cutting programs.” Fearing that similar programs will be put on the chopping block, she expressed interest in seeing the list of services that were not considered mandatory by the city manager and budgeting staff.

The next budget hearing is scheduled for May 25 in the City Council Chambers located at 915 I Street.

Photo by Anthony Bento.