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Thursday, November 6, 2008

Nutter Slashes Police & Fire Departments, Tax Reductions, City Services

With a gap in the city's five-year financial plan now more than $1 billion, Mayor Nutter today announced a sweeping plan to eliminate jobs, overtime and city services while delaying tax reductions.  The budget gap -- at least $108 million for this fiscal year alone -- is the result of a downturn in the economy and loses in the city's pension fund.

Nutter, speaking in a live television broadcast just after noon, said "We will get through these tough times."

Nutter said he would not lay off police officers, fire fighters or emergency medical technicians.  All city fire stations, health centers and recreation centers will stay open.  His plan to measure and improve city department services through the new PhillyStat and 311 programs will also continue.  

Nutter's budget plans: 

  • Delay business and wage tax reductions until 2015.
  • Eliminate 220 existing jobs, 600 unfilled jobs and 2,000 seasonal, part-time and contract jobs.
  • Reduce all overtime, including in the Philadelphia Police Department.
  • Cut 200 unfilled police jobs.
  • Cut five Philadelphia Fire Department engine companies and two ladder companies.
  • Close 11 branches of the Philadelphia Free Library and end Sunday hours at three branches.
  • Close 68 of the city's 81 pools and three of five ice rinks. 
  • Eliminate the Adolescent Violence Reduction Partnership.
  • Cut Town Watch Integrated Services by 50 percent.
  • End support for the Dell East summer concert series and the city's $355,000 contribution to the Mummer's Parade.
  • Cut by half the increases proposed for this fiscal years for the budgets of the Housing Trust Fund, the Community College of Philadelphia and the Cultural Fund.
  • Eliminate limited residential street cleaning, snow removal on smaller streets and dedicated collections for tree leaves and tires.
  • Salary cuts for the Mayor, his staff and cabinet, deputy mayors, and the Managing Director's Office.
  • Require five furlough days this year and next year for any exempt employee earning more than $50,000.

Nutter transmitted to City Council today seven pieces of legislation to enable several of his budget moves.  Council Majority Leader Marian Tasco submitted them. Council President Anna Verna said the legislation has to be voted on before Council adjourns for the holidays.  Council's last meeting is Dec. 11.
Posted by Chris Brennan @ 12:23 PM  Permalink | File Under: Nutter | | Nutter | 154 comments
Comments   
  • Comment removed.
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 12:31 PM, 11/06/2008
    The change we can believe in. Oh yeah...wrong guy..same story though. Promise the moon give us manure.
    — OgieOglethorpe
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 12:32 PM, 11/06/2008
    It's November 6th. Are you going to tell me City Council will have trouble voting on this before December 11th? What do these people do? And how difficult is it to agree to something that is needed?
    — ResponsibleAmerican
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 12:34 PM, 11/06/2008
    the excuse the it is caused by a downturn in the economy is misleading. While bringing to a head earlier, this has been brewing in Phila. for some time. Read the state oversight commtte's reports over the last few years.
    — CD75
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 12:34 PM, 11/06/2008
    wow, that sucks. this is going to lead to more violence and poverty it seems.
    — philly200
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 12:39 PM, 11/06/2008
    Not just salary cuts, Budget cuts for Mayor and Council. That's where all of the grey area money gets spent, Aids, travel expenses, car insurance, cars, lunchions, all that cr@p.
    — Nick4102
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 12:40 PM, 11/06/2008
    kudos to Nutter for cutting his pay and that of his staff, cabinet, deputy mayors, etc - BUT CITY COUNCIL NEEDS THEIR PAY CUT TOO. a few years ago, city council gave themselves huge pay increases "to bring themselves up to the same pay level as other big cities like LA". but philly wasn't functioning at the level of LA then, and it's not now. city council, get this city growing again and THEN reward yourselves with pay increases. until then, give that money back!
    — jasonite74
  • Comment removed.
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 12:40 PM, 11/06/2008
    Well, the "change" is what Philadelphians will have left in their wallets after the Obama (and Nutter) tax policies take root. Glad I don't live in the city anymore.
    — davesju93
  • Comment removed.
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 12:44 PM, 11/06/2008
    The brothers and Sisters are running this city. BWAH
    — cwoulfe2000
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 12:45 PM, 11/06/2008
    I don't like Mayor Nutter and I disagree with closing firehouses,But everything else has to be done. I am shocked that he has the guts to do it and hopefully he can restore funding to reopen thos firehouses.This economy was wrecked by republicans and hopefully there is a silver lining in the horizon in 2009 for this city.
    — leon483
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 12:45 PM, 11/06/2008
    With all due respect to a previous poster, President Bush had nothing to do with this. A lot of us outside Philly had their standards of living improve because of Bush's tax cuts. The fact that Street/Nutter negated this with high taxes and poor management is what is causing the budget problems. One would think Nutter would be more cognizant of cutting police expenditures while at least three cops were murdered on his watch.
    — davesju93
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 12:47 PM, 11/06/2008
    @ Lowell: Latrice's skirt got cut another 4 inches.
    — phillygwm
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 12:47 PM, 11/06/2008
    close 68 pools?where will kids go in the summer?on a90 degree day?these streets are mean,to the library?no,they are closing 11 moer of those wow someone tell me please?where is the obama excitement already gone?
    — gruck24


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About The Philly Clout Team
PhillyClout
Chris Brennan, a native Philadelphian and graduate of Temple University, joined the Daily News in 1999. He has written about SEPTA, the Philadelphia School District, the legalization of casino gambling, state government, the mayor, the governor, City Council and political campaigns.
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David Gambacorta spent a small eternity writing about cops, drug dealers and serial killers. Now he’s writing about power and politics ­– which sometimes reminds him of the old crime beat. He joined the Daily News in 2005. And yes, he knows you’re not quite sure how to pronounce his last name. E-mail tips to gambacd@phillynews.com
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Catherine Lucey joined the Daily News in 2002 and has written about murderous drug gangs, political protesters and Harry Potter. After covering the 2007 mayoral election, she moved over to the City Hall bureau where she has been reporting on the Nutter administration.
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Jan Ransom, a native New Yorker, joined the Daily News in 2010 after graduating from Howard University. She has since written about the difficulty of filing police complaints, tax deadbeats and life after violent home invasions. She joined the Daily News City Hall Bureau in 2011 and has plunged headfirst into reporting on administration budget battles and City Council shenanigans.
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