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Home > Blogs > Hamilton News and Issues > Archives > 2008 > June > 12 > Entry
Council ranks budget cuts
The city manager released a chart of how council members ranked the cost cutting “menu” provided to them a few weeks back.
The chart doesn’t specify how each council person voted on the issue. Instead it tallies the number of votes on the 5-option ranking. The options were implement, implement only if necessary, implement as a last resort, do not implement or not enough information.
View the chart here: menu rankings.pdf
The listing doesn’t create any official jumping off point for City Manager Mark Brandenburger to start making cuts, but rather is supposed to serve as a jumping off point for further discussion. Council is supposed to schedule a Saturday work session in the coming weeks to talk about the items in question. Mayor Don Ryan said he would like to have decisions by the end of June.
So, looking at the list, do you think council is on the right track?
Permalink | Comments (12) | Post your comment | Categories: City Council
Comments
By Mary
June 12, 2008 12:01 PM | Link to this
Interesting reading!!! And another thing I wasn’t aware of - another perk for city employees - They can pay their own damn fee for a flu shot! An unneeded expense of $48,000?!? Is there no end to what the taxpayers have to provide for the city’s employees?!? Unbelievable!!!By Mary
June 12, 2008 12:01 PM | Link to this
Interesting reading!!! And another thing I wasn’t aware of - another perk for city employees - They can pay their own damn fee for a flu shot! An unneeded expense of $48,000?!? Is there no end to what the taxpayers have to provide for the city’s employees?!? Unbelievable!!!By raiseuserfees
June 12, 2008 1:19 PM | Link to this
There are some obvious ones and some that I think would be a disaster for quality of life in Hamilton. User fees should be the first to be implemented, particularly where none exist now. To “mary”…Paying for a flu shot may save money in the long run but I would think $48K is way too much. If a shot is ~$20, that’s 2400 employees?! something is out of whack with that number. I really believe there could be great savings in pol&fire if some long-timers retired.By Debbie
June 12, 2008 1:43 PM | Link to this
I think the citizens should vote on what to keep since the council doesn’t really care unless it is putting money in their pockets. And where is the rest of the city’s budget - we need to see ALL of it to see where all the monies are going or should I say NOT going!!By whatever
June 12, 2008 2:25 PM | Link to this
I believe cuts need to be where the citizens will get the “most bang for their buck”. Implementing a city impound lot sounds like a great place to start. Cutting flu shots for employees saves approximately 48K which is not a great deal when looking at the overall picture. Eliminating animal control is only going to put more burden on a county department that is already suffering. Cuts that should be made are those items that will have the least affect the citizens and employees of the city.By whatever
June 12, 2008 2:25 PM | Link to this
I believe cuts need to be where the citizens will get the “most bang for their buck”. Implementing a city impound lot sounds like a great place to start. Cutting flu shots for employees saves approximately 48K which is not a great deal when looking at the overall picture. Eliminating animal control is only going to put more burden on a county department that is already suffering. Cuts that should be made are those items that will have the least affect the citizens and employees of the city as a whole.By D H Johnson
June 12, 2008 2:50 PM | Link to this
Evidently there is need for some cuts. But the last thing we need is cuts to police and fire depts. If the city council trys to cut police and fire depts, I think the citizens of Hamilton need to have a recall election of those who votes for the cutsBy D H Johnson
June 12, 2008 2:50 PM | Link to this
Evidently there is need for some cuts. But the last thing we need is cuts to police and fire depts. If the city council trys to cut police and fire depts, I think the citizens of Hamilton need to have a recall election of those who votes for the cutsBy Gloria
June 12, 2008 3:34 PM | Link to this
Freeze salaries until the budget is in order. This is what big business does. It would have to take place for union when new contract takes place.My husband hasn’t had a raise in three years and he works for a very large company. Stop buying land with old buildings. You are not realtors. It is time to get back to the basics boys! People are taxed and should have excellant streets, great fire and police protection.By floyd smith
June 12, 2008 8:54 PM | Link to this
lets see,was it 2 million they spent on the lot at mercy hosptial??? they tried for 50 years to get a under pass to get rid of the train tracks and then they put those bricks at every intersection to tear your car up .how much did they spend on the bricks at every intersection? who got well on them???how about the brick side walks in german village, rental area, how about gas street lights, in german village, and how much did the new german village signs cost??? how about the dayton lane signs ???how about the thousands of dollars they gave to don ryan for the third st building ??? and did the city need to buy the goverment services building , was it 55 million ??? and several years ago they paved the parking lot at the power plant, but before they paved that lot ,they went accross the street and paved the lot at the sub station, to park in while the pave the lot behind the power plant, so the paved two lots to pave one, this was at the same time the city was adding to every utility bill for water run off city politicans are just as corrupt as the countyBy floyd smith
June 12, 2008 8:54 PM | Link to this
lets see,was it 2 million they spent on the lot at mercy hosptial??? they tried for 50 years to get a under pass to get rid of the train tracks and then they put those bricks at every intersection to tear your car up .how much did they spend on the bricks at every intersection? who got well on them???how about the brick side walks in german village, rental area, how about gas street lights, in german village, and how much did the new german village signs cost??? how about the dayton lane signs ???how about the thousands of dollars they gave to don ryan for the third st building ??? and did the city need to buy the goverment services building , was it 55 million ??? and several years ago they paved the parking lot at the power plant, but before they paved that lot ,they went accross the street and paved the lot at the sub station, to park in while the pave the lot behind the power plant, so the paved two lots to pave one, this was at the same time the city was adding to every utility bill for water run off city politicans are just as corrupt as the countyBy citizen
June 14, 2008 8:05 PM | Link to this
I agree that the flu shots should be cut, but that won’t save $48K. Look at the list again. The same line includes closing the East Avenue health clinic. That’s where the majority of the savings will come from.