Mayor suggests cutting 18 jobs

Barbara Miller

Nov. 3, 2009 (McClatchy-Tribune Regional News delivered by Newstex) -- The city of Lebanon could eliminate up to 18 positions as part of its effort to erase a $3 million deficit in the 2010 budget, Mayor Trish Ward said Monday.

Ward said her goal is to present a balanced budget to the City Council during a meeting at 4:45 p.m. Thursday.

"A lot of this is a restructuring of city government and is probably long overdue," she said.

Ward said the city anticipates $10 million in revenue next year, which she said will not be enough to close the spending gap.

Eliminating the positions would help narrow the deficit to around $600,000, she said, adding that she will propose other steps on Thursday to fully balance the spending plan.

Three supervisory positions in the police department would be cut through retirements, and Ward said others would absorb the duties with no decrease in the number of officers patrolling the streets.

Ward proposes eliminating the jobs of a zoning officer, a permit processor, two public safety office workers and four highway maintenance workers. Additionally, the part-time recycling coordinator's hours would be reduced, and the highway supervisor and the maintenance supervisor would be merged into one job, she said.

Four or five positions left vacant this year would not be filled, Ward said. These include a police officer, a construction inspector and a finance clerk.

"I could leave things the way they are and take money from reserves. If I were to do that, the city would be under Act 47 in one year," Ward said, referring to the state's distressed city program for financially strapped municipalities.

Raising property taxes is not a ready option. Under the city charter, Lebanon can't raise its tax rate above the current 17 mills without court approval.

"I believe with this restructuring and some others ideas for redirecting and generating income, the city will be left with a path where it can go forward and escape the state's control," Ward said.

Newstex ID: KRTB-0082-39438057