Warren plans cost-saving measures

The city is hoping to combine office supply purchases with the school board.

STAFF report

WARREN — The budget concerns that prompted city Auditor David Griffing to predict a $1.75 million budget deficit by year’s end won’t result in layoffs — and are likely to be resolved with budget tightening and unspecified revenue increases, city officials say.

Mayor Michael O’Brien and Safety Service Director William “Doug” Franklin, at a meeting of city council’s finance committee Tuesday, outlined a variety of measures being done to improve the city’s bottom line.

The most-publicized method was the elimination of most overtime, which has saved about $80,000 over the past two months in the police and fire departments alone and could save an additional $160,000 through Dec. 31, Franklin said.

But O’Brien also said he will closely monitor the spending of all departments with additional restrictions on spending.

For example, travel requests are being denied for most city employees, vehicle maintenance done by outside companies is being eliminated, and gasoline consumption is being monitored on all city vehicles.

O’Brien said an executive order has been sent to city departments ordering that computers be turned off at night — something experts say saves around $50 to $70 per year on each of about 200 computers being used in city departments.

He will be meeting with Warren school officials soon to discuss a centralized purchasing system for paper and other office supplies that he says can save 50 percent.

On the revenue side, O’Brien said the city will look into drilling natural gas wells on park land in low-population areas, and selling the naming rights to the downtown amphitheater and city baseball fields.

Griffing had surgery and could not attend the meeting, but O’Brien said he spent four hours with Griffing on Monday.

He and Franklin said they believe the measures being undertaken will be enough to balance the budget by year’s end without making any layoffs.