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Council Minutes of 12/16/2008 <br />We knew for three and a half years it was coming and would be tough. He said we <br />needed to be a smaller, more efficient government and reduce cost to our taxpayers. We <br />have done so through attrition, but nobody at the federal level that is laying off, at the <br />state level that is laying off, the county level that is laying off, the corporations that are <br />laying off, and the banks saw the crisis that we are currently in. He did not know six <br />months ago that we were going to get hit like we got hit in the last four months. <br />Law Director Dubelko said it is true that the city hires an outside labor negotiator who is <br />a lawyer to do negotiating for the city. But the grievances are done in-house by our Law <br />Dept. <br />Mrs. Gut asked if the city had seen a decrease in income. Mayor O'Grady said <br />absolutely. We've had flat revenues for about the last 10 years; and, during this entire <br />time, we've seen our costs go up, those costs for salaries and for associated benefits. <br />This year in 2008 for the first time, we saw a decrease in revenue. And projections for <br />2009 show a greater decrease in revenue. Three and a half years ago, he knew that we <br />were going to have problems but couldn't foresee that they would be this bad. He took <br />steps for three and a half years. We've had some union concessions which have been <br />good but not where we need to get to. It breaks his heart to see these good people going <br />out. The reality is we're in an economic crisis and we have to make changes. Mrs. Gut <br />questioned why we didn't know about these issues before now. Regarding the statement <br />by the Finance Director that 15% of the taxes go to waste removal and was a vote of the <br />people. Why didn't that come up to a vote again if it needs to be adjusted? <br />Finance Director Copfer explained that last year we had to go out for bids for our trash <br />collection. Because of a fuel adjustment, the model that was proposed was to have a fuel <br />escalator. Now in the declining costs, we do derive a benefit. However, costs were <br />projected to go up $500,000 from our contract before. If our fund with the 15% did not <br />cover the gazbage collection, then either we had to drastically change the garbage <br />collection or the General Fund is going to have to be paying it. The revenues in the <br />current yeaz aze projected to be a million, eight hundred thousand dollars and the cost is <br />about the same. Our city has the lowest cost on the west side, so it is not that we have a <br />bad deal. We did have some monies that accumulated in there that we have been able to <br />pay for leaf collection. But at some point, if revenues continue to decline and don't <br />increase, the money is going to run out that had accumulated in that fund to then not be <br />able to cover even just the garbage collection. She would never recommend that the vote <br />of the people for the 15% be taken back because it doesn't cover what you want to pay <br />for now. <br />18) Dave Boatman, said that he felt this administration had done nothing but attack the <br />employees. He suggested they take some time, start working with the employees, and <br />stop attacking them and they might get somewhere and might get more cooperation. The <br />city is being led from the bottom up, not from the Mayor's office down. <br />19) Robert Vilevac, 26008 Byron Drive, noted that one factor in determining insurance <br />rate premiums is fire protection. If staff is cut, he believes insurance rates will go up. <br />16 <br />