Newest articles on The Sacramento Press tagged as "city budget"

False alarms get more costly for residents, businesses

2011-12-08T04:16:05Z

Sacramentans who protect their homes and businesses with fire and burglar alarms may soon pay more for chronic false alarms and see alarm permit fees nearly triple.

The Sacramento Fire and Police departments each presented proposals to the City Council’s Law and Legislation Committee Tuesday that would change the current policy on fire and burglar alarm response – and increase penalties for multiple false alarms.

The proposed changes to police alarm response will do two things: require alarm companies to step up efforts to verify legitimate alarms, and change the current three-year permit structure to an annual permit.

The changes to fire alarm response includes incrementally increasing fines for multiple false alarms.

Members of the Law and Legislation Committee unanimously approved both proposals Tuesday.

“This will allow the (Police Department) to focus on legitimate priority needs of the community,” Police Capt. Jim Maccoun told the committee Tuesday.

According to Maccoun, alarm installations throughout the city have increased by 4,000 since 2008, resulting in an increased demand for police services.

At the same time, police staffing has decreased by 29 percent over the last several years.

In years past, alarm companies sent private security personnel to respond when alarms were set off. As the economy shifted, many alarm companies either downsized their operations or moved out of state and eliminated response by private security personnel.

Alarm companies have private contracts with customers but use a public agency to service the contract – transferring the responsibility to respond to alarms to the local police.

Residents who do not have an alarm system essentially subsidize those who do by paying taxes to support the overall costs of police response to alarm calls, according to a police staff report presented to the committee.

Sacramento Police Department has responded to an average of 26,000 calls per year – that’s 72 alarm calls per day – over the last three years. Ninety-seven percent of those were false alarms, Maccoun said.

The report also stated that alarm calls involve a two-officer response and take approximately 40 minutes to resolve – costing the city approximately $3.7 million per year.

On top of the ordinance changes, the Police Department is also changing its department policy to further curtail false alarm responses.

According to Maccoun, right now the department will respond to all alarms. With the new changes, however, after three false burglar alarms in 12 months, the department will only respond after the alarm company has attempted to confirm a valid alarm with the home or business owner.

This “enhanced call verification” means alarm companies will have to make at least two telephone calls to determine whether the alarm signal was a mistake before calling the police: one to the premises where the alarm was activated, and one to an alternate number provided by the residence or business owner.

This will also be the case if any false alarm or permit fees are not paid within 120 days after a resident or business owner is billed.

The ordinance states that violations will be considered a public nuisance, and fines will be between $250 and $25,000 for each day the violation continues, depending on the offense.

The breakdown of the new fees and penalties was not available Tuesday, Maccoun said. A proposed fee structure will be presented to City Council when it reviews the proposal.

For the Fire Department, false fire alarms have steadily risen since 2004 and now make up about 15 percent of total emergency responses, a fire department report states.

A standard fire alarm response typically requires units from three or four fire stations to cover, the report states. False alarms make those units unavailable for actual emergency response.

To curb the amount of false fire alarms, the Fire Department wants to levy penalties for alarm systems that generate multiple false alarms.

The tiered penalties start with a warning notice after the second false alarm in any 12-month period. Fines levied for third and further false alarms were not available Tuesday. They will be made available to the City Council when it considers both the new fire and police changes.

After the fifth false alarm, the penalty includes notice of public nuisance and the possibility that the system may be removed from service by the Fire Department, potentially creating problems for home and business owners in meeting insurance requirements.

Michael Sommerfield, owner of Miosa Couture on J Street, said Wednesday the problem is not the people with the alarms, rather it is the alarm systems themselves.

“It’s the fire department that requires these high-tech alarms,” Sommerfield said. “They insisted on (alarm) systems that don’t work.”

Sommerfield said that he is “all for” minimizing the number of false alarms, but he doesn’t think business owners should be penalized for faulty equipment.

“It’s a waste of taxpayer dollars for (the Fire Department) to come out with 12 guys all geared up,” Sommerfield said. “If they’d let us use $6 Home Depot alarms that actually work, this wouldn’t be such a problem.”

Although City Councilman Steve Cohn voted in favor of the proposed ordinance changes, he expressed concerns about the fee structure.

“I think the first issue is whether to have a fee differential between commercial and residential permits,” Cohn said. “Second, is whether to phase in the increase over a two-year period instead of immediately.

“The problem is hitting people pretty hard all at once,” Cohn said. “We’re talking about almost tripling the fee, not just for violators but for everybody.”

City Coucilman Jay Schenirer, who also was a yes vote on the ordinance, agreed with Cohn’s concerns.

“It’s one more fee increase for people on top of everything else,” City Councilman Jay Schenirer said Tuesday. “We need to look at that.”

Maccoun told committee members that proposed fees would be brought to the full City Council when the ordinances go before them.

If the City Council approves the ordinances, the changes to the current law will become effective 30 days later.

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Council sets new hearing on parks, police and fire

2011-05-25T16:47:49Z

If you thought the last few budget hearings on proposed budget cuts to the city’s parks, police and fire services were heated, just wait until June 7.

At the close of a nearly four-hour budget meeting on proposed cuts to the Sacramento Fire Department Tuesday night, the City Council unanimously decided to discuss the cuts again on June 7.

But the June 7 meeting will be different from previous hearings because the council decided it will discuss all the controversial budget cuts – to the Parks and Recreation, Police and Fire departments – at that time.

Councilman Rob Fong said the cuts should be discussed all at the same time because the city does not have enough money to prevent cuts to those departments.

The council does not have funds to restore money to one of the three departments without cutting money from another of the departments, Fong said.

“When anyone comes and says ‘don’t cut us, just keep us whole,’ please understand what you’re really asking us to do is cut them,” Fong said.

“When the police say don’t cut us, they’re saying ‘cut the fire department’ ... because that’s where we are – it’s a zero-sum game. We don’t have enough money,” Fong said.

City leaders are wrestling with a $39 million budget gap for the 2011/2012 fiscal year.

Council members indicated Tuesday night that they will likely approve a federal grant for the Fire Department next month. Several council members said Tuesday night that they support the idea of approving the $5.6 million in federal funds from the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Grant Program.

The department has already been selected to receive the grant and is waiting on the council to approve it.

If the council signs off on the federal grant, the proposed cuts to the Fire Department would be lessened. The department would still face “brownouts” or alternating closures of fire services, but the number of brownouts would be less severe.

The department now closes two fire companies on an alternating schedule. The current budget proposal from Interim City Manager Bill Edgar and Interim Deputy City Manager Betty Masuoka would bump the number of these closures to six.

But the federal grant money would bring the number down to four, according to Fire Chief Ray Jones. The department would still see an increase from two to four, but not from two to six.

Jaymes Butler, municipal vice president of Sacramento Area Fire Fighters Local 522, told the council Tuesday that the cuts would hurt communities.

“Whole communities will be without emergency medical response and fire,” Butler said.

In a press conference before the City Council meeting, firefighters protested proposed cuts to their department.

When talking about the proposed cuts at the press conference, Butler said firefighters would be “laid off.” However, when pressed by reporters if there would be “out-the-door” layoffs, Butler said that 49 positions slated for cuts were not filled and no current workers would actually be laid off.

Earlier Tuesday, Mayor Kevin Johnson commented on the proposed budget cuts. When asked about proposals to save money with cuts to police and fire, Johnson said he'd rather hear from all departments and get information from them before the council makes a decision on what they can or can't do.

"I've said from day one I want to hold the line on public safety if at all possible,” Johnson said. “And that's police and fire. Certainly parks and being a full-service city are very important."

Video by Kathleen Haley

Staff Reporter Suzanne Hurt contributed to this report. Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

City eyes 350 city jobs for cuts

2011-04-30T01:57:07Z

More than 350 jobs, including those of 80 sworn police officers, could be cut to balance the city’s budget, Interim City Manager Bill Edgar said Friday.

The city manager’s office released recommendations Friday on how to resolve a $39 million budget gap. The proposal released by the city is not set in stone: The City Council is responsible for making final budget decisions.

“This is the budget that everyone has dreaded,” Edgar said. “(This is) the budget where the chickens come home to roost.”

The city manager’s office proposes cutting 294 positions. In addition, Edgar said he is recommending that the City Council cut about 60 more positions to privatize maintenance of city golf courses.

In the coming weeks, representatives for the city’s unions are expected to negotiate with city officials over the planned budget cuts.

The proposed budget recommends that the City Council lay off 80 of the city’s 701 sworn police officers. The city manager’s proposal also suggests laying off about 70 civilian workers in the Police Department and cutting 18 vacant positions for sworn police officers.

Detective Mark Tyndale, vice president of the Sacramento Police Officers Association, said the union’s members are upset, scared and “very angry” about the proposed cuts to the department.

The union made concessions on raises in 2009 that resulted in $13 million in savings for the city, he said.

“We have stepped up, and we have given,” he said.

SPOA’s view is that the city unfairly gave raises to a few top city officials recently.

Tyndale also argues the city mismanaged money by paying raises to members of another city union, Local 39, after negotiations fell apart between Local 39 and the city in 2009.

(However, it should be noted that Local 39 members suffered layoffs as a result of the failed negotiations with the city in 2009. Local 39 Director of Public Employees Joan Bryant, who represents city workers that are not in the public safety field, recently argued that the city unfairly favors public safety workers on retirement benefits.)

Despite Tyndale’s anger over the proposed budget, he said SPOA will continue to “have a dialogue with city management” on the budget.

“We expect to be treated fairly by them,” Tyndale said.

The proposed cuts will reduce police services, said department spokesman Sgt. Norm Leong.

“It will have impacts to crime and to the service level we’re providing,” he said.

In one of many examples, Leong said the department would not be able to respond in person to property crimes like theft and home burglaries if there are no suspects on the scene. “We’re not coming out,” he said.

However, if there are suspects present, the department would respond, he said.

Sacramento City Councilman Darrell Fong, who retired from the Police Department in 2009 after a 30-year career there, said no officers were laid off during his tenure with the department.

“I’m really concerned about the cuts to public safety,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Fire Department also faces major cuts in the proposed budget. There are “whole communities that aren’t going to have EMS or fire response,” said Jaymes Butler of Sacramento Area Firefighters Local 522. “They’ll have to pull from another community.”

The numbers of layoffs and the cuts to services for the fire department are still unclear because the city has been selected to receive a $5.6 million grant earmarked for fire services.

However, Butler estimated that the cuts would result in the following actual layoffs: 14 captains, nine engineers, 35 firefighters and seven firefighter/paramedics.

Positions are different from actual layoffs, because the city sometimes saves money by cutting vacant positions.

However, Edgar said he doesn’t expect the number of positions – more than 350 – to differ much from actual layoffs.

“I think it’s fair to say that most of (the positions) are filled at this point,” he said.

The city budget document released Friday projects that the city will continue to face budget gaps until fiscal year 2015/2016. The gap for fiscal year 2012/2013 is $11.7 million and is expected to rise to $22.9 million in fiscal year 2013/2014. In fiscal year 2014/2015, the city expects to be $18 million in the hole. The gap drops to a $13 million deficit predicted in fiscal year 2015/2016.

Read the full text of the proposed budget here.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

City Council talks priorities, budget

2011-01-07T03:03:11Z

As part of a Thursday workshop led by Mayor Kevin Johnson, the Sacramento City Council discussed its current priorities as well as ideas for the upcoming “State of the City” address.

Johnson described the workshop as a “mini-retreat” for the City Council. The city leaders kept the budget in mind when discussing their priorities, but exact budget numbers were not discussed.

City Finance Director Leyne Milstein said after the meeting that she was still working on the budget figures and would present concrete budget information at a Jan. 25 public meeting.

Johnson will speak at the State of the City event, which will be held Jan. 20 at the Sacramento Convention Center. His City Council colleagues gave him advice on points to include in the speech.

Councilman Rob Fong suggested that Johnson mention some of the positive developments in the city, such as the city’s work on streetscape improvements.

“I think there are lots of little things that are happening that we don’t necessarily focus on that make a big difference to a lot of people.”

Councilman Jay Schenirer said that gangs and public safety should be addressed in the speech.

The council members also discussed their priorities. Councilman Kevin McCarty said he wanted the council to consider city services. “How do we maintain a full-service city?” he asked.

Council members Steve Cohn and Bonnie Pannell mentioned the importance of jobs. “To me, everything has to be focused right now on jobs, jobs, jobs and our budget,” Cohn said.

The soundness of the city’s budget should be a priority, said Councilman Rob Fong. “I think we have to start focusing on sustainable budgets.”

Mayor Kevin Johnson responded to Rob Fong’s comment. “I couldn’t agree with you more,” he said.

Councilman Darrell Fong mentioned water rights and flooding as key issues. Meanwhile, both Johnson and Schenirer talked about focusing on youth. Johnson also said education is a priority.

Councilwoman Sandy Sheedy noted that the city’s budget should be presented in a transparent way “so that people out there understand it.”

Councilwoman Angelique Ashby urged the council members to tour each other’s districts to learn about the districts’ various issues.

Interim City Manager Gus Vina said after the meeting that he would revisit the council’s ideas during a discussion of economic recovery in the city. “My goal is to tie this conversation with the Jan. 25 date, where we’re going to do a workshop on our recovery plan,” he said.

File photo of a Sacramento City Council meeting held last July. Photo by Brandon Darnell.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Park maintenance debate on hold

2010-12-14T00:46:17Z

The debate on whether property owners should pay the costs of maintaining parks has been put on hold. City spokeswoman Linda Tucker said Interim City Manager Gus Vina is stopping work on the issue until city leaders hold budget workshops early next year.

“That way all the budget needs and available tools to generate revenue can be viewed as a whole,” Tucker wrote in an e-mail. “(Vina’s) belief is that a more strategic discussion can be held with this approach.”

The City Council was expected to decide on Tuesday, Dec. 14, whether to hire an engineer to examine the issue. The council will not make that decision this week.

Learn more about the assessment proposal here.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

City budget, strong mayor debate at Tuesday meetings

2010-06-22T04:50:09Z

With the city budget and Mayor Kevin Johnson’s updated strong mayor proposal on the City Council’s agenda, the public is likely to see political fireworks at two meetings Tuesday.

During the first meeting, at 915 I St. at 2 p.m. the City Council will discuss key issues related to the city’s budget for the 2010-2011 fiscal year. The city must settle a $43 million budget gap.

Council members will consider whether to scale back proposed cuts to the city’s fire, parks and police departments. Read the report on some of the planned budget cuts here.

Another issue on the council’s afternoon agenda is the Utilities Department budget. Find information on that budget here.

The City Council will also decide whether to extend city management’s negotiations with three unions for 30 days. The unions are Stationary Engineers, Local 39; Auto, Marine & Specialty Painters, Local 1176; and Plumbers & Pipefitters, Local 447. A document from the interim city manager’s office on the issue can be readhere.

In addition, council members will discuss their views on a possible ballot measure which would tax local medical marijuana dispensaries. Learn more about that discussion here.

At the evening meeting, to be held at 915 I St. at 6 p.m., the City Council will make a final decision on the budget and then discuss Johnson’s new strong mayor plan.

The City Council is discussing, but not voting on, Johnson’s plan. Johnson aims to ask council members to vote in mid-July to put the plan on the November ballot. Read a report on the issue from Johnson’s office here.

City Council meetings are open to the public.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Johnson talks council elections, budget at press conference

2010-06-08T19:59:24Z

Mayor Kevin Johnson held a brief press conference Tuesday morning, sharing thoughts on the council races and touching on the city budget.

"I'm excited about the elections," Johnson said. "(There) could be fresh energy and ideas, combined with veteran leadership."

He said it is the city's responsibility to engage citizens and that he is happy to see multiple candidates running.

Angelique Ashby, a District 1 candidate who was endorsed by Johnson, recently was the target of attack fliers.

"It's disgusting. It's old tactics," said Johnson. "It's what people try when they're desperate. I faced similar tactics but they backfired."

He said that while he is for people challenging ideas and incumbents, attack ads are not the right way to campaign. Johnson said he would like to see campaigning on the better aspects of what can be done for the city.

Johnson also discussed the budget. He said it is his goal to "solidify the deficit while maintaining public safety."

"Public safety is crucial and I think that council agrees," he said. Protecting jobs is his second priority. Johnson hopes to keep unemployment at a minimum.

Regarding the strong mayor proposal, Johnson said he has no doubts that it will be on the November ballot.

"I believe council would not deprive citizens the chance to vote," he said.

Johnson said he plans to visit Ashby, Steve Cohn and Robbie Waters at their parties after the polls have closed, in hopes that each has been victorious.

Health professionals urge city to keep fluoride in water

2010-05-19T05:28:39Z

Fluoride in Sacramento’s water was a hot topic during a Sacramento City Council budget discussion Tuesday night. Several members of the public, including dentists, a school nurse and local public health officer urged the City Council to keep fluoride in the city’s drinking water supply.

Management Partners, a consulting group hired by the city, suggests that the city stop fluoridating its water supply. The firm states that if the city cuts water fluoridation from its budget, it could retain $836,000 each year.

The city has a $43 million budget gap.

Glennah Trochet, a health officer with Sacramento County’s Public Health Division, told the City Council that water fluoridation is “one of the great successes of public health.”

Pauline Tracey, a school nurse at Hiram Johnson High School in Sacramento, said fluoridating water helps protect young people’s teeth. “This is an effective, beneficial...way to prevent both decay and promote the dental health of our students and the community at large.”

Read a list of upcoming city budget meetings here.

Photo by Anthony Bento.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

City Draft Budget Receives Criticism

2010-05-12T04:54:46Z

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.

Mark your calendars: May, June city budget meetings

2010-05-08T05:17:40Z

The Sacramento City Council will grapple with a $43 million budget gap at several meetings this month and next. Budget meetings are open to the public. Here’s a list of key dates for the city’s budget process:

Tuesday, May 11: Interim City Manager Gus Vina is expected to make a presentation to the City Council on the draft budget for fiscal year 2010/11.

Tuesday, May 18: Budget ideas from consulting group Management Partners and fees and charges are expected to be discussed at the City Council meeting.

Tuesday, May 25: Budget hearing

Tuesday, June 1: Budget hearing

Thursday, June 10: Budget hearing

Tuesday, June 15: Budget hearing

Tuesday, June 22: Budget adoption

The meetings start at 6 p.m. at City Hall, 915 I St.

The City Council may approve the 2010/2011 budget on June 24 if it does not pass it on June 22. A budget hearing may also be held June 17.

Source: Sacramento Finance Director Leyne Milstein’s report for the May 11 City Council meeting.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Budget cuts prompt neighbors to help maintain Land Park

2010-05-04T03:22:16Z

A group of 90 residents who are afraid of further budget cuts to city parks gathered Saturday at Land Park to take maintenance chores into their own hands.

Neighborhood activists recently formed the Land Park Volunteer Corps, which met at the park to trim bushes and beautify the grounds, according to Craig Powell, coordinator of the group.

“We’re doing our part in the community,” Powell said. “We’re responding with what we can do.”

The city is struggling with a $43 million budget gap for its 2010/2011 fiscal year. Powell said he is concerned that city parks may face a third consecutive year of extensive budget cuts.

Parks were hit with $8.3 million in cuts during the 2009/2010 budget process.

The group plans to meet and carry out maintenance tasks at Land Park monthly during nine of 12 months each year, Powell said.

Councilman Rob Fong has dedicated about $2,800 from his discretionary fund to the Land Park Volunteer Corps, Powell noted, adding that the group has received about $3,600 in private donations.

City officials released a draft budget Friday that does not contain breakdowns of the budget cuts to departments. Information on department cuts will be released near the beginning of June, according to city spokeswoman Amy Williams.

For information on how to participate with the Land Park Volunteer Corps, contact Craig Powell by e-mail at ckpinsacto@aol.com or by phone at 916-718-3030.

Photo of Craig Powell by Kathleen Haley.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

City may lay off as many as 200 employees

2010-05-01T00:33:16Z

The city of Sacramento may need to lay off as many as 100 to 200 city staffers as it makes cuts to balance its budget, Interim City Manager Gus Vina said Friday.

Vina proposed a draft budget Friday that would erase a $43 million gap. In the proposed budget, programs and services would face $14.6 million in cuts. The removal of all vacant positions and possible concessions from labor unions would amount to $19.6 million. Vina also plans to apply $8.8 million in other funds to the budget.

Vina’s draft general fund budget figure for the 2010 / 2011 fiscal year is $360.3 million.

“None of this is easy,” Vina said in an interview Friday. “We have only so much income and we have to have a balanced budget. I would encourage the public to stay engaged.”

The city’s budget documents will be posted online and the public is invited to attend all of the city’s budget hearings, Vina said.

Read the city’s draft budget here.

The city’s financial situation is bad because of low revenues from sales and property taxes, according to the budget document.

The draft budget document does not clearly spell out how the city’s various departments will be cut.

City management is being “very thoughtful” in planning cuts to services this year, said city spokeswoman Amy Williams. Information on precise cuts will be released near the beginning of June, she said.

During upcoming budget hearings, Vina said he will ask the City Council to weigh three ideas for generating revenue. One of those ideas would be to tax medical marijuana. Another idea is to update and raise the “business operations tax,” which is similar to a business license, Vina said.

A third idea would be a parking tax for private lots, he said.

The ideas are in early stages, he said. If the City Council is interested in the ideas, “we’ll do some more homework on it,” he said.

The city cannot take action on any of the three ideas without help from voters. City voters would need to approve each idea through a ballot measure, Vina said.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

City budget to be released Friday, $40-$43 million gap

2010-04-30T03:01:07Z

Sacramento city officials hope to release the draft city budget before 4 p.m. on Friday, said city spokeswoman Amy Williams.

The city is facing a $40-$43 million budget gap, according to an estimate provided earlier this month from Interim City Manager Gus Vina.

Williams said the city releases the draft budget on May 1 each year. This year the city will release it the day before May 1. She said the city’s charter dictates the timeline for the budget release. The charter calls for the city manager to issue budget recommendations at least 60 days ahead of July 1.

City Councilman Steve Cohn said last month at a Neighborhood Advisory Group meeting that he expects major cuts to city parks.

The Parks and Recreation Department received $8.3 million in cuts as part of the 2009/2010 budget.

The Sacramento Bee published information from confidential budget documents Wednesday. The documents suggested cuts may be made in several departments, including police, fire, development, general services and code enforcement.

The Sacramento Press will report additional information about the draft budget after it is released Friday.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

We want your questions for new interim city manager

2010-03-18T04:23:20Z

The Sacramento Press wants your neighborhood-related questions for Interim City Manager Gus Vina, the city’s highest-ranking official.

What issues or concerns do you have about your neighborhood? What do you think the city government should do to improve your neighborhood?

Write your questions in the comments section at the bottom of this article. Questions for Vina can also be e-mailed to kathleen@sacramentopress.com.

The Sacramento Press will choose several questions from community members for Vina to answer.

Vina was chosen as interim city manager by Mayor Kevin Johnson and the eight City Council members and will serve for nine to 12 months. He replaced Ray Kerridge, who resigned from the city manager position Friday. Vina told The Sacramento Press last week that he plans to apply for the permanent city manager position.

Vina leads a city government with about 4,300 employees. He will draft the city’s budget, which faces a gap of $35 million-$40 million for the 2010/2011 fiscal year. The City Council is in charge of reviewing and approving Vina’s draft budget.

Johnson spokesman Joaquin McPeek said Vina was asked to serve for a nine- to 12-month period so he could work continuously on the city's budget. In addition, the nine- to 12-month timeline allows any new City Council members to have a voice on the selection of a new city manager, McPeek said. Depending on the results of the June 8 City Council election, new members could replace current members.

One incumbent is not running for re-election. Councilwoman Lauren Hammond is not returning to the City Council — her District 5 seat will be filled by a new member.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Councilman Steve Cohn announces 2010 goals

2010-01-07T06:04:52Z

While Sacramento City Councilman Steve Cohn expects dismal budget numbers for the city this year, he also thinks the local economy will begin to heal.

In an interview about his goals for 2010, Cohn said the city budget will be his top priority. He said he doesn’t yet know a specific number for the city’s possible budget deficit this year, but he expects the figures to be daunting. The Sacramento City Council made major cuts to services last year to address a $50 million deficit.

“In general, despite the tough economy, I’m actually very optimistic about the future,” Cohn said. “So I feel like we’re going to see things start to turn around in 2010.”

Cohn said he expects job opportunities to appear toward the end of the year. Though he has an optimistic view of what the year will bring, he said city leaders must be “very careful” about how they spend money.

Cohn, whose district includes Downtown, Midtown and East Sacramento, is running for re-election in the June City Council race. Since his term ends in late November, he noted that the re-election outcome would not impede his progress with his goals this year.

Cohn is running against building contractor and former mayoral candidate Shawn Eldredge and real estate businessman Christopher Little.

When budget time comes around in May, Cohn will be looking at public safety.

“Public safety is obviously the most significant thing that we do,” he said.

Cohn noted that the city’s reserves are nearly dried up. The city will need to guarantee that its expenses align with its revenues, he said.

Cohn does not want to lower funding for the police and fire departments: “It’s hard for me to see how we can cut police and fire any more than we already have," he said. "That's not to say that somebody can’t come up with creative suggestions for how to better deploy our resources, and so we look to our police chief and fire chief for ideas.”

After the budget, the transportation project at the Sacramento Valley Station is Cohn’s second highest priority for the year. The outcome of the three-phase project will be a new regional transportation complex. A key part of the first-phase of the project, which will cost an estimated $60 million, is relocating railroad tracks.

The city plans to put construction work out to bid and start building this year, Cohn said.

“The first phase is the most critical because it allows not only for the station to be expanded so it can handle all those different forms of rail and transit that come through there, but also to allow the development to occur in the Railyards,” he said.

The project is being paid for by federal, state and local sales tax revenues that go toward transportation projects. None of the city’s general fund money is going toward the project, Cohn noted.

The councilman’s third goal for the year will be to finish a set of enhancements to Sutter’s Landing Park at 28th and B streets in Midtown. The improvements should make the former dump feel more like a real park, Cohn said.

“Obviously, right now, it still has a little bit of the feel of the city dump that it used to be,” he said.

Cohn’s top three priorities for 2010 are among dozens of goals he laid out in a his 2010 State of the District Report. Read the full list of Cohn’s goals on page three of the report.

Photos by Anthony Bento.

Staff reporter Suzanne Hurt contributed to this story. Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

SacPress interviews city finance director

2009-07-11T03:26:03Z

Now that Sacramento’s 2009 / 2010 budget has been approved, what does the city’s financial picture look like for next year?

The Sacramento Press sat down with Leyne Milstein, the city’s finance director, to ask that question. Milstein outlined next year’s projected $30 million deficit and commented on the city’s “structural deficit.”

While Milstein grapples with severe city budget gaps that are tens of millions of dollars, she has a self-described “lighter side” that is evident in her choice of office decorations. An interview with Milstein would be incomplete without mention of her Magic 8 Ball collection.

Sacramento Press: What is the city’s financial outlook for the next year?

Leyne Milstein: For the fiscal year that started on July 1, we adopted a balanced budget in June. And one of the things we really need to be mindful of is this continuing impact of this economic crisis that has gripped the nation. (We need) to continually be mindful of how that’s going to impact our major tax revenues in the general fund -- and specifically property taxes and sales taxes. One of the things we’re now looking at: As the state continues to add furlough days, how is that going to affect...sales taxes?

SP: At a City Council meeting recently you mentioned a projection of a $30 million deficit for 2010/2011. Can you explain that a little bit?

LM: We still think (the $30 million projection) is fairly consistent with our estimate in June. We have some obligations that we need to be mindful of relative to our Sacramento City Employee Retirement System. So we know that costs for that will go up about $8 million.

We know that we are rolling over $8 million in one-time costs (from the 2009/2010 fiscal year). We believe that we’re going to still continue to see a decline in our property taxes.

We have some costs for some of our new facilities coming on-line...Some of our newer labor contracts -- even though we got concessions for 2010 -- include midyear raises. Small, but still 1 to 2 percent, of salary (increase) is...a cost.

SP: How can the public get involved in addressing the city’s financial obstacles?

LM: Folks can contact us, write us, e-mail, call their council members. They can call the budget office. We held community meetings all through March and April. Anybody is always welcome...We were talking about this in October, very publicly.

What we’ve really strived for, and what we tried to do when we did go out to community meetings, is to make sure that people understand the complexity of the budget. And the fact that there’s only discretion on how to spend certain portions of the budget. And that we have to respect, for legal reasons, that some dollars...can’t just be spent on anything, at any time, for any purpose.

SP: Mayor Kevin Johnson often refers to the city’s structural deficit. What is that, and how can it be addressed?

LM: Because of this ongoing decline in revenues -- and they’re continuing to decline -- we are structurally imbalanced between revenues and expenses.

When we built our 08/09 budget, we estimated a $58 million (deficit). We closed everything but $23 million. That was one-time money. So, there was a structural deficit that rolled into 09/10 of $23 million. Now, our 09/10 budget, we closed all but $8.3 million of that. So now we have, structurally, $8.3 (million) moving into 2010/2011, plus the other impacts of continued revenue decline and continued growth in expenses. So, that’s the structural problem between revenues and expenses.

SP: Looking around the office, it appears that you have a sense of fun -- even though the city is facing all of these hardships financially. I see a Gumby (doll), there’s art on the wall, some shiny fake flowers. Can you talk about how you’re balancing that sense of fun with the hard realities of working on the budget?

LM: I think life is a balance of your personal and professional. This is a really difficult job. And I do take my job very seriously. We are stewards for the residents of the city of Sacramento. But on a personal level, if I just took all the serious, and never had that lighter side, it wouldn’t be good and healthy for me.

And so, I have three Magic 8 Balls on my desk. And, you know, sometimes we play “best two-out-of-three.” Just to lighten the load. And that’s what it’s all about -- to have that balance. Honestly, I think I’m a better professional by achieving that balance. And laughing helps receive some of the stress. And so, we try and do that. And the flowers on my desk are actually things that my kids have made me over time that have become collections -- (they) are just to remind me of that other side about why I do my work.

Firefighters may take 5 percent salary cut

2009-06-23T22:12:26Z

The local firefighters' union and city officials are publicizing a new one-year labor agreement for firefighters.

The deal between the Sacramento Area Firefighters Local 522 and the city would consist of a 5 percent salary cut for firefighters during the 2009/2010 fiscal year. The other key component of the deal is that city officials have promised not to lay off firefighters throughout the one-year period.

Local 522 and city officials have been sparring over a new contract for firefighters. City officials planned to lay off dozens of firefighters as part of city budget cuts. This tentative contract for the firefighters’ union differs from earlier versions which included raises and longer periods of time.

Five days ago, Local 522 said it would “explore legal options” in its dispute with city managers. But the mood between the two parties appears to have changed. Swanson said Tuesday that the union wouldn’t necessarily need to examine legal options if the new deal is passed.

In the last tentative deal between the union and City Council, firefighters would have been paid salary increases over a five-year period. The pay increases added up to a total of 11 percent by 2014. The City Council backed out of the deal.

Firefighters nixed a separate deal with the city earlier this month. In that proposal, firefighters would have given up their 5 percent cost-of-living increase scheduled for July. They would also have received a 1 percent pay increase in 2010 and a 2 percent increase in 2011.

Local 522 spokeswoman Robin Swanson said the new one-year contract deal addresses concerns raised by city officials, who did not want to extend layoff protections for longer than one year.

The one-year contract will “get us out of the woods,” Swanson said.

Council members Steve Cohn and Lauren Hammond are appearing at a press conference tonight with Local 522, which means that at least two council members support the deal.

Council members will vote on the tentative agreement in a closed session at tonight’s City Council meeting. Firefighters may vote on the proposal over a two-day period this week.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

City/County budget crisis: The weekly roundup

2009-06-14T17:19:13Z

City Council to consider budget:

The City Council may adopt a final 2009/2010 fiscal year budget Tuesday, June 16. The Tuesday meeting starts at 6 p.m. City Council meetings are open to the public and are held at 915 I St. The city is considering many cuts and layoffs to address a deficit of more than $43 million. A total of 168 pink slips were distributed to employees June 2. Fewer employees may be laid off if unions make concessions, according to city officials.

County supervisors to act on proposed budget:

The Sacramento County Board of Supervisors may approve a proposed budget for the 2009/2010 fiscal year on Wednesday, June 17. Wednesday’s budget meeting begins at 9:30 a.m. The meeting is open to the public and will be held at 700 H St. Sacramento County faces a budget gap of $180 million. The county and city are on different budget schedules. Supervisors are considering approval of a proposed budget Wednesday. The county’s final budget will be approved in September.

Sheriff sounds alarm over possible budget cuts:

Sacramento County Sheriff John McGinness told the Board of Supervisors June 10 that $80 million in planned budget cuts to the sheriff’s
department would result in significant public safety problems. In response to McGinness’s presentation, Supervisor Roberta MacGlashan asked county staffers to examine the possibility of providing the department with $20 million more.

Homeless programs on budget chopping block:

Sacramento County’s Department of Human Assistance, which provides programs for the county’s homeless population, will have to stop funding 154 shelter beds due to budget cuts, said the department’s director, Bruce Wagstaff.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

City employees receive pink slips, 168 possible layoffs

2009-06-03T04:54:26Z

A number of city employees received pink slips Monday that said their last day of work would be June 19. Though 168 workers received the layoff letters, city officials said the number of potential layoffs would go down if unions make concessions.

The city is planning layoffs and cuts to services to address a budget deficit of more than $43 million.

Sacramento began its budget planning for the 2009/2010 fiscal year with a $50 million deficit. The deficit figure dropped to $43.6 million in March after the Sacramento Police Officers Association made concessions on pay increases, said Gus Vina, an assistant city manager.

The firefighters’ union, Sacramento Area Firefighters Local 522, made a tentative deal with the city on Friday. Union members will vote this week to decide whether to approve the deal, which would cut their scheduled pay increases. The city plans to slash 50 positions in the fire department if the union does not accept the agreement.

Another major union, Stationary Engineers Local 39, is in negotiations with the city.

“We have not cracked that wide open,” Mayor Kevin Johnson said Tuesday, referring to the status of the city’s negotiations with Local 39. He said that if the firefighters’ agreement is approved, the city would be in “much stronger position” with Local 39.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Mayor Johnson seeks "fiscal crisis" designation for city

2009-05-15T22:05:45Z

The following press release was issued by Mayor Kevin Johnson's office Friday:

Mayor Johnson to Ask City Council to Declare “State of Fiscal Crisis”

Move Designed to Help Prevent State from Raising City’s Depleted Coffers

SACRAMENTO -- Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson will ask the City Council on Tuesday to declare a "State of Fiscal Crisis" because of the city's deepening budget woes.

Sacramento will join more than 100 cities in the state that already have or plan to declare a fiscal crisis. These actions by communities statewide follow a recommendation by the state's Department of Finance to borrow $2 billion in local property taxes to meet the state's budget shortfall, a move Mayor Johnson said he opposes.

“Siphoning off local property taxes at a time we need every penny will further devastate our community and hurt everyone in our city,” said Mayor Johnson. "The state should keep its hands out of the city's pockets."

In a deal struck in the early 1990s, the state began to tap local property tax revenues from California cities. The loss of these billions of dollars has left the city in a precarious position, even before the economic downturn drastically cut funds available to the city for services.

According to Mayor Johnson, the city faces a budget deficit of at least $50 million. Property tax revenues have dipped an additional $7 million since mid-year, putting the city in dire fiscal straits. Barring additional concessions from labor unions, the city will need to unfund as many as 387 full-time positions as part of an overall plan to cut labor costs, services, supplies and maintenance.

City: Layoffs to occur even with union concessions

2009-05-08T00:51:04Z

City management will still need to lay off staff even if all of its unions make concessions, according to the city’s finance director.

Sacramento Finance Director Leyne Milstein said she could not say how many layoffs would be needed if all the unions make concessions. That’s because the City Council will make the final decisions on cuts to services and programs, Milstein said.

Concessions from the unions will not create enough savings to avoid layoffs, Milstein said.

The city’s proposed budget aims to resolve a $50 million deficit.

If the unions do not make concessions, city management plans to lay off 189 city employees.

At its May 19 meeting, the City Council will address the proposed budget.

The city is in negotiations with its unions, which include the firefighters’ union, Sacramento Area Firefighters Local 522, and the Stationary Engineers Local 39. Sacramento government has eight labor unions.

The Sacramento Police Officers Association is the lone union at this time that has made concessions.

City's development department consolidated, renamed

2009-05-02T20:45:28Z

The city’s Development Services Department has a new name. It’s now known as the Community Development Department (CDD).

City records manager and acting spokeswoman Wendy Klock-Johnson explained that the new department brings together long-range planning staff and development services staff. The administrative change is an efficiency, she said.

The city’s 2009/2010 proposed budget includes a plan to move Planning Department employees. Under the plan, the Planning Department would move 26 full-time positions and $2.4 million to the new CDD “as part of the consolidation of planning services,” the budget states. Of the 26 positions, one is not funded and the remaining 25 are funded.

The new CDD includes the following services: planning, administration, customer service, building, infill and new growth.

Sacramento's City Council will address the proposed budget at its May 19 meeting.

Read more of Sacramento Press' budget coverage here.

City releases proposed budget; 189 planned layoffs

2009-05-02T03:21:43Z

The city of Sacramento is considering 189 layoffs as one part of its effort to address its $50 million deficit, according to its most recent count of potential layoffs.

The proposed budget figures, released Friday, mean possible layoffs for 189 people, explained city records manager and acting spokeswoman Wendy Klock-Johnson.

She noted that she hopes the public will read the budget documents and “be an active part of the process.”

Sacramento’s 2009/2010 budget states that the city will need to cut 387 positions.

Klock-Johnson explained that the 387 positions figure means that 189 people could be laid off. That’s because vacant positions make up the remaining 198 jobs.

The City Council will address the proposed budget at its May 19 meeting.

Klock-Johnson said the city has been proactive, and has been tightening its belt since September 2007. She noted that Sacramento’s economy has not yet turned for the better.

The budget document notes that the top two reasons the city is seeing reduced revenue are “the decline in both the real estate market and taxable sales.”

If the city’s labor unions refuse to make concessions, all 189 layoffs will take place, Klock-Johnson said.

Sacramento Area Firefighters Local 522 is currently in negotiations with the city.

The Sacramento Police Officers Association is the one union that has so far made concessions to the city. The police department will not experience layoffs because the union agreed to give up July salary increases for its members.

Several other unions have not made concessions at this time.