The
major point to be made today is that every step we are taking is intended to
make the best use of YOUR precious tax dollars and to
try to either eliminate the need to ask you for additional money, or at the
very least, reduce the amount we will eventually have to ask for, given that
the City is faced with the expiration of over $11 million in our $29 million
General Fund over the next 18 months. It
should be noted, even if we were able to adopt all cost-saving recommendation
in the Audit, which we cannot for reasons I explain in the City’s Response to
the Audit (click here), the City will still need to renew an expiring temporary
income tax in November of this year that generates $6 million annually over
five years. This issue will NOT BE A TAX
INCREASE – it will be a RENEWAL to preserve core city services.
Adoption of many of the cost-saving measures in the Audit
will help us off-set some of the impact of the expiration of the additional $5
million of funds we are facing as a result of repeal of the estate tax, a
reduction in the Local Government Fund by the State, and the expiration of both
a SAFER grant that funds 23 positions in the fire department and COPS grants
that fund four positions in the Police Department. There is no one silver bullet to solving
this budget deficit problem. The City is
going to have to take multiple steps to find new ways forward in providing the
high quality service delivery with fewer available resources.
Among our methods include: re-bidding vendor contracts;
working with our employee groups to re-negotiate our collective bargaining
agreements; combining and re-configuring some departments and infusing more
technology to eliminate duplication of services; adopting more
energy-conservation practices; entering into more shared service agreements; improving
the efficiency of systems through training, some physical improvements, and
better performance measurement; and when
possible, creating new revenue streams. Sometimes reviewing these areas will seem uncomfortable,
as change is always difficult. But I do
believe that we need to be of the mindset that everything does need to be on
the table if we are going to move forward in ways that make the best possible
use of our available resources.
As you can see there is much to do and I ask that you
have high expectations of us, hold us to our promises, but also exercise some
patience. Over half of the
recommendations that could yield cost-savings referenced in the Audit are
subject to the collective bargaining process and will be addressed over time as
agreements come up for review. Moreover,
audit recommendation addressing Enterprise Fund savings, can only be used for
those specified services. So for
example, revenue generated from better water billing can only be used to
improve the water system – the law does not allow it to be transferred to an
account to pay for more police or fire fighters.
That being said, I am very interested in hearing your
thoughts and suggestions. Please feel
free to call me at 326-1402, e-mail be at hbrinda@cityofelyria.org, or
visit me during a Mayor’s Night In the first Thursday evening of every month
(except July) at 6:00pm in Council Chambers at Elyria City Hall – 131 Court
Street. I look forward to hearing from
you.
Holly Brinda
Mayor
