With Final Budget Decision Looming, City Jobs are Still on the Line

Months of negotiation and discussion about the New Port Richey budget for the  upcoming fiscal year have yielded a revised spending plan that, if it receives final approval, could cost some city employees their jobs.

There are roughly 10 jobs that still look like they might be cut from the fiscal year 2013 budget, which would take effect Oct. 1. The general fund budget for fiscal year 2013 stands at $16.63 million. The total city budget for that year is proposed to be  $44 million, and the millage rate is proposed at 9.5 mills.

In the first of two votes needed to enact the fiscal year 2013 budget, the New Port Richey City Council gave initial approval to the spending plan Wednesday night. The final vote on the budget is scheduled for Sept. 24.

“I think we’ve got something that, if none of us are happy about, at least we can live with,” said Deputy Mayor Rob Marlowe.

Among the jobs that could be lost if this budget receives final approval are:

• one librarian, a part-time specialist and one part-time custodian at the
• a full-time development technician
• a full-time aquatics coordinator
• and an administrative assistant in the finance department who has been urging the city leaders to look past her job title to see how much she does for the city.

That administrative assistant is Stephanie Porter-Krahn, whose teenaged son started high school this year. Her duties include processing every one of the city’s rental permits, business tax receipts and parking fines.

Back in June when they did their first budget proposal, city staff presented 15 jobs for the chopping block.

Over the course of negotiations in the months since, officials have added back in to the budget some positions, including:

• a swim coach
• a custodian for the
• a part-time custodian for the police department
• two positions for debris collection in Public works

They’ve also added a part-time special events coordinator at the rec center and funding . 

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