Additional Layoffs Imminent

Additional layoffs are coming down the pike in Garden City.

On March 20, the village filed a tentative budget "in the area of $53,500,000," after an additional 4 percent reduction in personnel costs across all departments. (Department heads had already been directed to reduce their spending by 3 percent. They were then directed to reduce their spending by an additional 4 percent.)

"Very approximately, this adjusted budget will require a further $2.2 million in spending reductions, or approximately 4 percent," finance chair and trustee Andrew Cavanaugh said during budget talks this week. "In the budget to be filed these reductions will be taken in the salary and related expense (benefits) lines."

Officials re-visited vacant positions that could be eliminated; three within the Department of Public Works (Street Department); three within the Garden City Police Department; and one within the Recreation Department.

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Some argued that a reduced work force will result in service reductions. "You can't provide services without employees," outgoing mayor Don Brudie said. "I'm not in favor of cutting any employees."

Citizens Budget Review & Advisory Committee (CBRAC) member Linda Ryan said the mayor is assuming everything right now is running optimally. "We don't know if a reduction in employees is going to absolutely result in a reduction of service," she said. "We don't know that the level of employees in any department in the entire village is optimum."

Fellow CBRAC member Mark Hadlock added, "To be able to say our budget can afford the level of services that it's been able to afford - we no longer have a surplus, we no longer have our 2 percent reserve, we don't have anything. So now we're going to start whittling away at our personnel. I don't disagree that there's inefficiencies and personnel should be let go but I really think we ought to start looking at our services."

Hadlock continued, "It doesn't mean we're going to be a bad town. It doesn't mean people are going to move away. It means we're being realistic and living within our means like most people in this town do - they live within their means. Our town needs to live within its means. If that means cutting service, you cut service." 

Before the additional reductions, the tentative budget carried a $46.57 implied tax rate and an 8.71 percent tax increase. The board majority, including newly elected trustees Richard Silver and Robert Bolebruch, however were not comfortable with a budget that exceeded the tax cap.

After the reductions, the tax increase will be cap compliant -- under 4.2 percent, village auditor Jim Olivo told Patch.

"The '2 percent cap' is in actuality an approximate 3.66 percent cap on an increase in the levy (the amount to be raised from taxpayers)," Cavanaugh said. "The increase in our cap for this year is based on underspending by VGC in last year's budget. The 3.66 percent levy cap yields a tax increase of approximately 4.2 percent, occasioned by the decline in the assessed value of the property in the village, which pushes up the tax rate."

State law requires the village to file a tentative budget by March 20. Trustees, however, can amend that budget via resolution until April 30. The board has to adopt a budget by May 1 or else the tentative budget, including any amendments made, becomes the actual budget, according to Olivo.

Another budget session is scheduled for 8 p.m. Wednesday, March 27, in the village hall boardroom. A public hearing on the budget will take place at the April 1 organizational meeting.

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