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Worst case scenario
There was an all-day “budget study session” on Wednesday, hours after preliminary data showing the EMS levy/”lid lift” was decisively defeated. Previously, in making its preliminary 2010 budget, the City of Ocean Shores assumed the levy would pass. It almost certainly will fail.
At Wednesday’s budget meeting, after department heads gave overviews, finance director Art Wuerth said that estimated revenue for 2010 is $5,479,811. Expenditures are estimated at $6,393,123, leaving a deficit of $913,312.
Wuerth recommended taking $1.3 million out of the city’s budget. Mayor Dean Bunkers told the four council members present (Dave Creighton, Nick Johnson and Mike Patrick were absent) that he agreed with this.
After doing some quick math on average of salaries and benefits per employee, councilman Dick Skewis came to a disturbing conclusion:
“We’re looking at laying off 21 employees, 25 percent of the city’s staff.”
Council is now talking about other alternatives. Garland French is suggesting looking at an EMS Utility, as first brought up by Chief Jim Hodges.
Tom,
I really think that we have to look at the possiblity of going beyond the gates with the EMS Levy. Go for District 7, 8 and anywhere else they want to expand the base of taxpayers needed to pay for the full service. If we do that, it will reduce our cost.
“We’re looking at laying off 21 employees, 25 percent of the city’s staff.”
Good. Let’s start with the City Council.
The next one to go should be the guy who drives that machine that butchers the trees along the sides of the roads.
Birddog — re expanding the potential EMS utility beyond the city gates, I’ll see if this is a possibility (whether you were being facetious or not)
Phillip, I’ll try to find out the answers to your questions (the first two, non-rhetorical ones, at least — not that the other two aren’t interesting . . .)
Hey Tom what is the total payroll for all city employees? How much do the council members make?
Does anybody actually trust these people anymore? After reading the article on the REET situation I was left wondering how long they’ve actually known about all this, and if the EMS levy didn’t pass how much of thid info was going to be known? Makes you wonder waht the ems money was really going to go for!!!!
Surprise, Surprise, Surprise!!! Gaaw-aawl-ly, I wonder how long that idea too? Even though the levy was shoe one and shoe two was always the utility idea. Hey, if we have a utility, can we expand it beyond the city gates? Charge the North Beach, similar to the school district? Then everyone can pay for the cost of equiping, supplying, training, and staffing the facility. Maybe they will pay for the station too.