Budgets: what is getting cut/added in your professional budget?

[Dan]

Not an agency I work for, but Amherst, New York came close to having its planning department cut in half; more than other town departments. A new town supervisor was elected, and a new town budget was implemented that eliminated vacant positions and cut the department budget, but no filled jobs were lost.

I love this quote:

Mohan said he believed six planners were enough for the town.

“We are not laying anybody off; we are giving them a chance to find better jobs,” he said.

What better jobs? Prospects for planning employment in the Buffalo area is usually quite bleak even during the best of times; most municipalities around the Buffalo area don't have planning agencies (like Northeast Ohio, there's a far greater emphasis on economic development agencies and CDCs), those that do are quite small or fill their positions with patronage jobs, and there's only one private firm of note.

[Chet]

One report I recently read suggested that municipal budgets may not recover for a decade.

I just read something that said the economy as a whole will take a decade to recover. They also called it "The Great Recession of 2007 - ?"

[dvdneal]

At this point we have now lost 12 department heads/senior manager positions. Senior planners, managers, department heads, all just dropping like flies. So far, we have only replaced the assistant city manager with a friend of the city manager. Life is so interesting around here. If I see any of the positions open up, I'll post it.

[Cardinal]

I just read something that said the economy as a whole will take a decade to recover. They also called it "The Great Recession of 2007 - ?"

Some at our former employer are also referring to it as the "lost decade". It had been a period of steady growth. Since the end of 2007 they have eliminated services like planning and GIS, and cut back others to just a single person. Forty percent of the employees were let go, three branch offices were closed, and two of their largest clients are abnkrupt. There have been no raises or annual bonuses in two years, and everyone our level and higher has been asked to take a pay cut. Despite being on my own, I am probably better off right now.

[luckless pedestrian]

I submitted everything I ever wanted or needed for my budget so if it gets cut, I can work with what's left I have not received my budget back form the manager yet but I expect it any day so we'll see what I am getting away with...

[Richmond Jake]

Budget season has started in my next of the woods and I learned today that I'll be losing a position. Fortunately, it's not a warm body but a vacant slot.

[luckless pedestrian]

in our fair town, as in most New England Towns, the Town Manager recommends a budget ot the Council, who in turn edits as they deem necessary and offer it up to the Warrant Committee - then after Warrant reviews it, it goes back to Council for a reconciliation and then Council ultimately makes the call as to what goes to Town Meeting - we have Open Town Meeting so everyone that shows up that night, gets to vote (a great jazz band concert precedes it)

at the manager level he cut all my outsourcing projects (apologies to consultants, you're out) and he reduced a couple of Conservation Commission projects and the furniture for my staff planner's office

Council restored a project to be paid from cruise ship fees but it wasn't the proejct I necessarily wanted restored but they didn't ask and we're not supposed to lobby or beg so you have to hang back unless they ask

so we are now with Warrant Committee and last night they removed my insertion of 1500 bucks for our staff planner to attend the Boston APA conference.

they also reduced the manager-Council budget of a 4% wage increase for non-contract, non-union, full time employees to 1% to cover the cost of the increase in health care costs. Union employees have a 4% increase they can't touch, and department heads were previously proposed at 0% (and we will continue to be)

this is a morale buster though yes, it could be worse, it could be warm bodies going out the door - but people are very remote up here (don't get over the bridge much) and really don't see what I see here on Cyburbia whereas I am happy just to be employed and glad they didn't go after staff

this change reduces the tax increase from 6% to 5% or about 26 bucks for the average homeowner so it's a dent but not a big one

my prediction is the Council will accept the recommendation of the Warrant Committee but we'll see...

[ursus]

Smells like budget season. We're cutting at least 6%, and have been lucky so far to not lose any people, just operating budget. I'm sending less than 30% as much work to our engineer (contract) which helps my budget but hurts his firm. Cyburbia makes you more sensitive to that, I think. I'm down about 3% in my own salary because there haven't been cost of living adjustments (or merit increases, for that matter) for 2 years and won't be this year, but the employee contribution to health benefits has to keep going up. I expect to "lose" another 3%, but I'll take it over a straight pay-cut any day. I'm feeling lucky, to be honest.

[Suburb Repairman]

I am in "thank god I'm grant-funded" mode. The State of Texas is requiring 5% cuts to all agencies' programs funded from general fund.

The State should have begun making cuts in the last budget, but instead used Federal stimulus to avoid having to make any difficult decisions. Rather than having two budgets with moderately hard decisions, we are going to have a budget next year that will be a bloodbath. I've heard shortfalls of as much as $20 billion.

[Cardinal]

The reports I have seen are projecting 48 states with budget deficits in 2010.

[Cloverhill]

We've lost our entire customer service staff plus a couple of vacant planner positions. No chance to replace anyone for 18 months.

[Richmond Jake]

Bad post. Poor judgement. Shouldn't have done that.

Will let ya'll know next week.

[Salmissra]

We had over 1400 positions cut last year. About 900 of those positions were occupied by full-time warm bodies. The remainder were part-time or vacant. Massive department consolidations, moving locations to reduce rent, five furlough days, pay cuts for high level positions, no raises/merit increases, and increase in employee-paid-for benefits across the board, and we are still millions in the hole. It was forbidden to suggest that taxes go up, or that the employees in uniform have to contribute to the cut by taking furloughs.
About 400 of the 900 were "hired" into stimulus funded positions or absorbed by departments with vacancies that had to be filled (ie Code Compliance).

This upcoming budget year is pretty bad. Over 200 positions cut, 8 furlough days for civilians, fighting with the unis to take some furloughs (but not as many as civilians ), pay cuts, no raises/merit increases, and cutting city services are all on the table, but not approved yet. I haven't heard anything about taxes, but I'd bet my non-existent raise that they aren't going up. Operating budgets were cut last year, and this year they want to eliminate another 10%. We're going to paperless agendas for Commissions (Council converted last year) in an effort to reduce costs. I support 2 Commissions, and there are members on both that will not be able to make the change.

I'm trying to hang on long enough to get vested. I made it through the last round of cuts by the skin of my teeth. This year feels a bit more secure. If I make it this year, then it's only 2 years to vest-ment!

[zman]

Since my promotion, I have become the entire planning department. Therefore, I am in charge of the budget. The previous planner put a lot of fluff in the line items which I will reduce.

-I will try to get myself a fat raise (bring my salary up to comparable levels).
-I will try to supplement a promotion of our admin assistant from part time to full time with benies (don't want to lose her and she has been a great help to me)
-Cut down the fluff

Working out the numbers, I will still save the bottom line of the budget by $30-40k

[Richmond Jake]

Bad post. Poor judgement. Shouldn't have done that.

Will let ya'll know next week.

My department lost two warm bodies and one vacant position.

Builders Services is $800K in the red. They're going to lose some warm bodies, too. Perhaps as much as half the department.

[Queen B]

Since my promotion, I have become the entire planning department. Therefore, I am in charge of the budget. The previous planner put a lot of fluff in the line items which I will reduce.

-I will try to get myself a fat raise (bring my salary up to comparable levels).
-I will try to supplement a promotion of our admin assistant from part time to full time with benies (don't want to lose her and she has been a great help to me)
-Cut down the fluff

Working out the numbers, I will still save the bottom line of the budget by $30-40k

Yeah the problem with that is when your staff refuses to work, it is hard to punish them for it...

And RJ, sorry that sucks.

[mike gurnee]

Since my promotion, I have become the entire planning department. Therefore, I am in charge of the budget. The previous planner put a lot of fluff in the line items which I will reduce.

-I will try to get myself a fat raise (bring my salary up to comparable levels).
-I will try to supplement a promotion of our admin assistant from part time to full time with benies (don't want to lose her and she has been a great help to me)
-Cut down the fluff

Working out the numbers, I will still save the bottom line of the budget by $30-40k

That only works once. The next year they will want another 30-40 cut.

[Richmond Jake]

Another bad report yesterday. Our ad valorem is down again. This dip could result in more layoffs, furloughs, and closures. And no indication that our board is interested in increasing the millage rate. Not a good sign to our public service improvement goals.

Thank you Gov. Rich Scott.

[Richmond Jake]

I lost another position with the 2012 budget. Fortunately, a grant will save this person. But for only another year. I'm going to lose a good person.