The Commercial-News, Danville, IL

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August 27, 2009

Committee starts looking at cuts

BY JENNIFER BAILEY

DANVILLE — With only a month of meetings left to deadline, the Community-Wide Finance Committee started identifying a possible list of recommendations Thursday that members now will start to rank in importance for budget cuts.

But as members started talking about “non-essential” city employees remaining on the payroll and other possible cuts, City Comptroller Gayle Brandon warned that city business can’t just stop.

“All (current employees) have jobs to do,” she said. “We can’t stop.”

But committee member Wayne Haugen said every company is re-evaluating how it does business and looking at all employees’ duties. Employees are being asked to do more.

Public Works Director Doug Ahrens said “we will run the best department you provide us resources for.”

But he added, further reductions will result in service changes — whether that means with garbage and yard waste pick-ups or for example with delayed snow plowing.

Committee member Heather McKiernan also said city employees, especially union employees and all employees with their better than average health insurance benefits, must be willing to help the city out in these tough times.

Other possible issues brought up: further investigation of privatization of garbage collection and management of Harrison Park Golf Course; increasing employees’ health insurance fees; a separate library taxing district; eliminating earned time pay (eight hours of comp time a month that if unused is paid out at the end of the year); instituting furlough days; increasing the rental inspection fee; eliminating the fire department from going on medical calls or institute a per call fee; eliminating two city parks; and closing the pool.

Ahrens said if the pool is closed, the city has agreed to move the AMBUCS Sprayground to another park.

The committee is trying to come up with at least $1.5 million in cuts to help balance the city’s budget.

It’s looking at what the city cannot afford to do anymore.

Committee members also have suggested their recommendations go to the full city council and not just Mayor Scott Eisenhauer for a decision.

COMING UP

The Community-Wide Finance Committee will meet at 4 p.m. Sept. 3 at the Robert E. Jones Municipal Building, 17 W. Main St.

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