Revised budget to cut 50-60 workers in Warren

By Ed Runyan | November 15, 2008 at 12:08a.m.

Warren Mayor Michael J. O'Brien

The budget will be presented at the finance committee meeting Monday.

WARREN — The city administration will present a balanced budget to city council Monday that includes the layoff of 50 to 60 city employees, Mayor Michael O’Brien said.

The city began notifying the affected employees Thursday.

The cuts are expected to reduce the ranks of the police and fire departments by 15 to 20 employees each and produce changes in the way both departments operate.

For instance, O’Brien and Fire Chief Ken Nussle said the fire department is likely to close the Atlantic Street fire station because of the loss in staffing.

O’Brien said he isn’t sure what moves Police Chief John Mandopoulos is likely to make, but a reduction in the number of plainclothes detectives is likely to occur as some of them are placed on patrol duties.

The reductions are likely to have almost no effect on departments that take in operating revenue, such as the water, sewage and garbage-collection departments, O’Brien said.

The cuts will affect virtually every other city department, O’Brien said.

“Every facet of city government will be functioning, but not at the level they do now,” he said. “It’s what the city can afford based on the revenue it has,” O’Brien said.

Even those keeping their jobs may be affected, the mayor said, as many management and union personnel will receive a new job classification and lower pay.

With personnel being one of the bigger expenses in the city’s budget, that will make up a large percentage of the $3 million reduction in the 2009 budget compared with the 2008 spending plan, O’Brien said.

But the $27 million budget will show reduced costs in many types of contracted services, as well, he added.

The $3 million cut was brought on by a predicted $750,000 drop in 2009 income tax collections over 2008 and reductions in inheritance taxes ($250,000); interest on investments ($250,000); Warren Municipal Court fees ($100,000); and building-permit fees ($100,000), among other things, the mayor said.

O’Brien said he expects mayors throughout the United States will be facing similar cuts this year because of the downturn in the national economy.

Council has to approve the budget by Dec. 31, the mayor said, and so it has a say in how the spending plan is put together, but mostly council has a say in the revenue part of the budget.

The city administration will present its budget proposal to council at 4 p.m. Monday at a finance committee meeting.

runyan@vindy.com