City of Cleveland Budget Cuts Outlined by Mayor Frank Jackson

This in from Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson:

Monday, May 16, 2011

Good afternoon,

Today is a difficult day for the City of Cleveland as we take the next steps in dealing with the state-imposed budget cuts.  Governor Kasich’s proposed budget imposes a $35.7 million deficit on the City’s budget between now and the end of 2012.  This reduction in funding is particularly onerous since it is a reduction in tax revenues that are generated locally.   As a result of these state cuts, the City is forced to reduce staffing and service delivery in order to balance our budget as required by law. 

Today the City is implementing 321 state-imposed layoffs and eliminating an additional 145 vacant positions. These figures include full-time employees as well as seasonal and part-time positions. These cuts, forced by the state budget, are of such a magnitude that they will impact our ability to deliver service.  Please see below for more detail about the impact on employees and service delivery.

Public Safety

·        Although all safety services will be affected, the biggest reductions will be in the Divisions of Police and Fire. Police and Fire account for $260 million of the annual $300 million dollar Public Safety operating budget.
·        81 patrol officers and 42 police cadets are being laid off. This will result in a reduction of the number of zone cars in the neighborhoods and a reduction in the number of police officers assigned to specialized units.
·        51 firefighters are being laid off, resulting in 5 of the City’s 40 fire companies to be closed.   (A fire company is an apparatus – a pumper truck or hook and ladder for example, not a fire station).

·        18 vacancies in EMS will go unfilled.

Public Works

·        Public Works delivers the city’s core services, including recreation, waste collection, street repair and snow removal. This department relies on seasonal employees, particularly in the Spring and Summer to deliver service.
·        79 employees are being laid off and 114 vacancies will go unfilled, resulting in the following:
o       Longer hours for waste collection, though waste will still be picked up weekly;
o       Elimination of leaf pick up;
o       Delays in bulk item pick up, dead animal collection, special event clean-up and pick up from the City’s drop-off recycling program;
o       Recreation Centers will close on Saturdays;
o       Outdoor pools will continue to be closed on Mondays and Tuesdays (normal schedule) even if temperatures top 85 degrees;
o       20 playgrounds will be unstaffed and only playgrounds attached to Recreation Centers will be staffed; and,
o       The free lunch program for youth will only be available at recreation centers and staffed playgrounds.  This will result in a reduction of 14,000 meals served. 

In addition, 68 employees are being laid off from other general fund departments, including Building & Housing, Finance and Law, as well as the Municipal Court and the Clerk of Court’s Office. 

Despite these cuts, my goal continues to be to provide the residents of the City of Cleveland with the best service delivery possible.  Most importantly, my thoughts are with the 321 employees who are receiving layoff notices today.   For more than five years, we have worked to reduce our operating expenses while improving service and we have been successful. It is our employees who helped to make that happen.  I want to thank every City of Cleveland employee for their hard work and commitment to the City of Cleveland.

Sincerely,
Frank G. Jackson
Frank G. Jackson, Mayor
City of Cleveland