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April 2, 2008
Council rally returns 9 jobs
Aldermen restore
firefighters' positions
BY
JENNIFER BAILEY
Commercial-News
DANVILLE —
Another rally to put back the
nine firefighters that Mayor
Scott Eisenhauer had cut out of
the city’s proposed $38.7
million 2008-09 budget proved
successful at Tuesday night’s
city council meeting.
It came down to the wire at a
city public hearing on the
budget, but aldermen voted 9-5
in support of adding the
firefighter positions back.
Aldermen voting not to support
the return of the firefighter
positions in the budget were
Dale Brandenburg, Ron Candido,
Steve Foster, Steve Nichols and
Jerry Askren.
Nichols worries that the city
will be in a worse financial
situation six months from now as
revenues projections could be
incorrect.
Foster said the fire department
may be understaffed, but the
city is already under income and
over taxed.
Now it’s up to Mayor Scott
Eisenhauer to cut elsewhere in
the budget to come up with the
projected $310,000 needed in the
now deficit budget that aldermen
approved.
The deficit budget will be
placed on display for public
review, prior to the city
council being expected to take
final action on it April 15. The
new budget will take effect May
1.
Eisenhauer said he did not have
cuts already in mind in case a
majority of aldermen decided to
add back the firefighters. The
firefighters were initially cut
due to the more than $300,000
budget shortfall in the early
planning process.
When asked where he’ll start
cutting, he replied, “I have no
idea.”
But this morning, Eisenhauer met
with city department heads to
discuss cuts he identified
overnight. He expects to send
out the new cuts to aldermen and
the media on Thursday.
The city’s projected $733,000
reserve projected for the end of
this fiscal year can’t be used
to solve the deficit, Eisenhauer
said.
He wants to present a new budget
version as soon as possible to
let the departments know what
employees or other costs will be
cut. This will allow the
departments some time, as the
fire department had, to alter or
save any cuts.
With the city budget about 80
percent personnel costs, it’s
hard not to cut personnel, he
said.
“This budget is the most
economically sound budget,”
Eisenhauer said of his proposed
budget with the firefighter
cuts.
He said it made the most sense
in the short- and long-term for
the city.
Now, however, he’s disappointed
that the aldermen are following
the practices of past councils
in not being fiscally
responsible, spending too much
versus saving money for the
city’s reserves, and allowing
the firefighters issue to become
more emotional than economical.
Eisenhauer said his job is to
protect the city’s economic
vision, and “we’ve worked our
butts off to get out of debt
(from five years ago).”
He estimates in his tenure,
about 20 city positions have
been eliminated.
After the council vote, Aaron
Marcott, president of the
International Association of
Firefighters, Local 429, shook
hands with the aldermen with a
smiling face.
“We’re happy with the results,”
he said.
He said the union looks forward
to working with the aldermen in
the future.
The aldermen’s vote Tuesday
night came in front of the
largest standing room only crowd
that’s been to a council meeting
this budget season.
Eight residents voiced support
for the firefighters not being
cut.
Maru Nolan, co-president of the
Northeast Neighborhood
Improvement Association, said
the group supports not cutting
the firefighter positions
because they are necessary for
safety of the public and homes.
North Gilbert Street resident
Suzette Astell said if it
weren’t for the firefighters
quick response to a fire at her
home two years ago, she wouldn’t
have been able to rebuild and
return there 7 ˝ months later.
“Please, please find someplace
else to cut the money,” she
said.
She wants other homeowners to
have as positive of an outcome
as she did.
In other business, the council:
--Heard from Allen Dixon Jr. who
voiced concerns about the police
officer who is now back at work
after putting a gun to the head
of a man while off duty.
The officer, who has not been
identified, was put on paid
administrative leave by the
Public Safety Department
following the incident at Steak
‘n Shake on March 8.
Dixon said he doesn’t understand
why a police officer under
investigation is back out on the
street with a gun.
Dixon said the officer shouldn’t
be back on the street with a
weapon until the investigation
is complete.
He hopes for the future, the
person would initially be put
into a position that doesn’t
require him handling a gun.
Aldermen Candido, Tommie Reed
and DeMarko Wright agreed with
Dixon’s comments.
“I cannot believe the person is
out on the street carrying a
gun,” Candido said.
Candido said the officer should
be out on bond or in another
position without a gun.
“This individual is a time bomb;
living on the edge,” Reed said.
Wright also agrees the officer
shouldn’t be back on the street
so quickly.
Eisenhauer said due process is
available to everyone, including
police officers; and aldermen
could talk one-on-one with him
about this personnel issue.
--Approved budget amendments
totaling about $248,000 to come
out of the city’s general fund
reserve. |
