Tuesday, May 13, 2008

The budget

Here's why Marc Bayo Salte is wrong. If you attempt to trim the budget by shaving $15,000 here and $90,000 there, you'll never reach your stated goal, and you'll leave some departments underfunded even worse than they already are.

If you want to trim the budget, you trim the proposed salary increases and then proportionally spread that across the body of employees. Again, it ain't the best option, but it's the only feasible way to approach this as the budget has already been scoured for possible cuts and there just aren't many to be found.

2 Comments:

Blogger ACCBiker said...

What about first not filling the proposed 19 new positions? Then make up the deficit with a reduced raise?

I don't understand your logic to expand the work force first and then reduce raises.

7:41 PM  
Blogger Unknown said...

From what I can gather, it's 19 positions technically, but only five in actuality. The 12 for in-house probation will be covered by fees and be self-supporting, while two others will come from enterprise funds and not the general fund.

One is for Mental Health Court as a part-time position to help get the court running and should be funded, at least partially, with a planning grant. Four are dedicated to assist with public transportation with three for the two new lines and one to serve as a route manager.

So, in essence, if it's just five new positions on the payroll through general funds and all five tie into the OneAthens proposals the mayor and most commissioners wish to preserve, it seems justifiable to trim the pay increases proportionally rather than suspend hires.

6:45 AM  

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