Nutter announces cuts on heels of Council's budget - UPDATED
Philadelphia City Hall and political coverage from the Philadelphia Inquirer City Hall bureau.
Nutter announces cuts on heels of Council's budget - UPDATED
Jeff Shields and Patrick Kerksta
Mayor Nutter announced a series of cuts in response to the $3.9 billion budget passed by Council today, as he promised to do if Council did not provide additional revenue in the form of a sweet-drinks tax or other measure.
"Council is unfortunately proposing to spend money that is not really there," Nutter said as he announced the cuts.
A memo from budget director Steve Agostini to Nutter's chief of staff, Clay Armbrister, announced closures to two fire companies, the canceling of two classes of police recruits, and a cut in branch library hours to four days a week. The memo identifies $20 million in savings by cutting a total of 339 positions.
John McNesby, president of the Fraternal Order of Police in Philadelphia, said the loss of two police classes would result in 220 to 240 cuts by attrition over the next year. “You're 200 down in the city of Philadelphia, you might as well lock your windows and lock your doors and not take a vacation in Philadelphia,” said McNesby.
Last year, McNesby shrugged off Nutter’s threatened police cuts, saying he would not sacrifice public safety, which has been his greatest area of success. McNesby was similarly confident on Thursday. “There's always money to be found,” he said. “You're not going to continue to get the same results with less people.”
Gloria Guard, president of the People’s Emergency Center shelter, one of the social service providers who supported Nutter’s efforts to generate more revenue, called it “Death by a thousand razor cuts.”
“Truly, these cuts will mean fewer shelter beds, fewer meals, fewer social workers,” Guard wrote in an email. “Then, the taxpayers will be troubled because they will see a growing number of people on the street….Sad, and often overwhelming.”
The cuts to existing services, (295 positions and $15.6 million) are:
-- Two new police classes in 2010-2011. $4.5 million
-- Two fire companies, 40 positions. $3.56 million.
-- Branch libraries down to four days a week. $2.5 million.
-- Licenses and inspections by $661,000, would affect demolitions.
-- $1.7 million to managing director's office, including youth violence prevention, Town Watch integrated services, and the CLIP program.
-- Division of Technology, $1.2 million.
-- Office of Supportive Housing, $500,000.
-- Fleet Management, $390,000.
-- Philadelphia Cultural Fund, $240,000.
-- Inspector General's Office, $100,000.
New programs eliminated ($4.5 million, 44 positions):
-- $1.5 million for improvement to current services.
-- Parks and Rec Tree planting, $2.5 million.
-- Maintenance Assessment Team in Department of Public Property, $300,000.
-- Long Range planning team in Planning Commission eliminated, reduced by $200,000.
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Yakov - you must be one of Nutter's cronies...or involved in city council or something...you stick up for everything that is being done. $16M here, $16M there...it all adds up. Nutter really sucks, i would never vote for him again.— cmk- Parks and Rec Tree planting, $2.5 million. Is this the whole budget for Parks/Rec or can we trim the rest of it???— Refounder
- Collect the back taxes owed. Hold government employees accountable for their job performance and get rid of those individuals not needed or performing. Problem solved!— DreamShake
- You cannot tell me that these cuts cannot be made to far less essential services. Just stroll thru City Hall or the Courts and you'll see more deadwood than you'll see in the Pinelands after a windstorm...— feudi
- Most of the money is tied up in Debts, Pension, and Elected Officials - where no budget cuts can be made. If only it were easier to reform the Pension plans. Hopefully we can use our voting power to change the way Elected Officials are paid.— EAvila
- only in Philly. I dont think this is about intimidation. This is about what needs to be done to help fill the budget gap. People say they want cuts and that's what they are getting. Why are folks STILL complaining? Police officers and firefighters are PART OF THE GOVERNMENT. If you want less of it that means you want less of them too. You can't have it all.— Yakov
Comment removed.- To all the idiots who protested the soda tax: hope you're happy!— UncleEddie
- Time to get rid of Nutter... put him out in the trash next to the empty bottles of soda!— sjubrian
- We need to cut the size of City Counsel and eliminate all City cars that are driven by hundreds of City employees for take home use. This includes all police captains and ranks above Captain and hundreds of other City management staff. I can only imagine what it cost taxpayers to maintain this HUGE fleet of cars.— equalityman
- cmk: I am a thinking person, nothing more. I most certainly dont work for the mayor. Trust me. You are asking about things that have been done already. Read the paper and you may learn a few things. Anyone can review the city's budget numbers online. Council's budget is tiny. Not saying it cant be cut more but its small relative to the size of the budget. The police budget is over $500m a year- thats real money. I hate to burst your bubble but the reality is that the folks directly employed by elected officials are a small number overall. In addition, every non union employee has already had a pay cut in the form of furlough days. Again, read the paper sometimes.— Yakov
- equality: you have any proof that hundreds of employees take cars home? The number of city cars was cut under this mayor and street. City employees largely use car sharing. Most of the vehicles that can be taken home are work vehicles like vans used by maintenance workers. I dont know if you've checked out the average city vehicle but its not impressive so I'm not sure why folks act like city employees are driving Cadillacs.— Yakov
- I'd rather see Council's budget cut from $16 million to $8 million - that would save the entire cuts to police and fire. Does the budget include the savings from eliminating the remaining row offices (projected savings of $12 million)? Or transferring the First Judicial District to the State (as legally required by the Courts, projected savings of $99 million)? How about changing the workplace rules so that deadbeats in City service can be FIRED instead of recycled to new positions (projected savings, immeasurable)? Or maybe even going after some of the billions in uncollected bail, taxes, and other City fees already outstanding? This is frankly absurd - just like last time - and I think crying 'wolf' too much has its own problems ...— citylumberjack
- Would someone please step up and run against this elitist fearmonger! This city can do so much better. Either a Democrat has to stand up and Primary him or the Philadelphia Republican Party must come out of its coma and become a true opposition party. This isn't leadership, it is cowardice.— LibertyoverTyranny
- Police abd fire should never be cut in Philadelphia.— i love america
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