City manager recommends more budget cuts

After watching sales tax revenues continue to miss projections, Springfield City Manager Greg Burris has recommended more budget cuts to take effect immediately.

Burris suggested $1.27 million in cuts in a memo sent today to Springfield City Council members. The proposal follows a $1 million cut made after the first quarter of fiscal 2010, which began July 1. The city's 1-cent general sales tax is down 10.3 percent through the first six months of the year.

Of the proposed second-quarter cuts, $645,000 will be saved by continuing the hiring freeze that has left 114 full-time positions open, according to a city news release. Remaining savings will come from specific departmental cuts, including:

• Cutting $225,000 out of the transfer from the city's general fund to the Health Department, to be made up through one-time federal grants;

• Eliminating a $100,000 reserve fund for Busch Building maintenance;

• Eliminating $100,000 for Public Works Department capital equipment purchases;

• Cutting $100,000 in capital equipment purchases for the Public Information department's City View channel; and

• Saving $96,500 through changes in telephone and facility cleaning services.

The city also plans to save $7,000 through voluntary furloughs; these are in addition to furlough time required of upper management in the first-quarter cuts.

In September, when the city was down $1 million after the first three months of the fiscal year, general fund cuts led to the aforementioned furloughs along with four layoffs, a continuation of the citywide hiring freeze and a 10 percent spending reduction for most departments.

If council approves the recommended cuts, they would take effect immediately. Council will discuss the proposal at its Jan. 5 luncheon, with first reading at its Jan. 11 meeting. A vote is expected on Jan. 25.[[In-content Ad]]