So, the police department didn’t have to cut 3% like all the other departments and now they have over nearly $3M in supplemental requests over last years budget and the Council seems poised to give them whatever they want. Again. This info from Michael Jacob puts their request into perspective:
September 10, 2007
Dear Mayor Cieslewicz, Chief Wray and members of the common council,
In light of the increased discussions about public safety and the recent request by Chief Wray, supported by Mayor Cieslewicz, for 30 additional officers in the forthcoming budget, we feel it important to broaden the discussion to additional “core services” provided by the City to its residents and begin to get realistic about what it would take to provide funding for these officers through cuts to other departments.
We appreciate that several alders have asked for advice from the public on where to find cuts and appreciate the Mayor’s sentiment that the public will be open to cuts in order to provide this unprecedented increase at the Police Department. But we wonder if the cuts can, or should, be made without doing serious damage to the mission of Madison’s governmental services and the quality of life we have come to enjoy and expect once the scope and depth of the cuts required become clear.
To further this conversation we’ve reviewed the 2008 agency operating budget requests and note below some possible areas to find $2.3 million. To be clear we are not suggesting the funds be found in these areas, simply articulating the draconian effect seeking such a large amount of money from within an already strained city budget could have. We urge you to be clear and forthcoming with your constituents about the potential effect of making such cuts and, to the extent there is indeed clear public support for such a large increase in police staffing, that you ask your constituents not only about cuts they’d accept, but also willingness to accept an increase in property taxes or shifting of other revenue in order to satisfy the community’s priorities,
Should the entire $2.3M come from one area, what core services are you willing to abandon or severely curtail?
* Reduce by half the amount of Snow & Ice Removal (Streets, $4.5M in 2007)?
* Reduce by 18% the Solid Waste Division (Streets, $12.8M in 2007), perhaps by eliminating garbage pick-up once every 4-6 weeks?
* Eliminate the Streets, Highways & Path Systems ($1.8M in 2007), plus Sidewalks ($.35M) programs (Engineering)?
* Eliminate the Signs ($1M in 2007) and Street Lighting ($1.2) programs (Traffic Engineering)?
* Eliminate Weed Control ($.48M in 2007) and Street Repair & Maintenance ($1.85M in 2007) (Streets)?
* Eliminate Pavement Markings ($.87M in 2007), Communications (.2M in 2007) and Traffic Signals ($1.2M in2007) (Traffic Engineering)?What other services, which certainly many Madisonians would consider “core”, are you willing to abandon or severely curtail?
* Eliminate Paratransit services at Metro ($2.2M)?
* Eliminate 29% of fixed routes at Metro ($7.8M total)?
* Reduce by three-quarters the Community Resources services provided through the Office of Community Services ($3.18M total in 2007)?
* Eliminate the Child Care section in the Office of Community Services ($2.2M in 2007)?
* Reduce by 45% support for the Central Library ($5.15M total in 2007)?
* Cut in half the support for Neighborhood Libraries ($4.82M total in 2007)?
* Cut by more than one-third maintenance of General Parks and Greenways ($6.4M in 2007) (Parks)?
* Reduce by a quarter Madison’s commitment to the Public Health Department ($9.8M total)?What else, that people might not think of as the front line of Madison’s services, are you willing to cut?
* Eliminate the Planning Division ($2.3M)?
* Nix the Inspection ($1.9M in 2007) and Health & Welfare ($.45M in 2007) divisions of Neighborhood Preservation and Inspection?
* Reduce by three-quarters the Forestry Division ($2.98M in 2007) (Parks)?
* Eliminate city funding for Olbrich Botanical Gardens ($.96M in 2007), Forest Hill Cemetery ($.87 in 2007) and either the Winter Activities ($.5M in 2007) or Boating/Beaches/Concessions (.4M in 2007) sections (Parks)?There are, of course, a number of other Departments and programs you could consider. What combination of the following are you willing to eliminate or severely cut to expand the Police Department?
* Comptroller – $2.5M
* City Attorney – $2.38M
* Dept. of Civil Rights – $1.39M
* Common Council office – $.34M
* Mayor’s Office – $1.1M
* Overture – $1.72M
* Office of Director of Planning and Community and Economic Development $.5M
* Community Development Block Grant – $.71M
* Economic and Community Development – $1.27M
* Madison City Channel – $.26M
* Application Development and Support or Network Support divisions of Information Services – $1.9M each
* City Assessor – $1.97M
* Madison senior Center – $.39M
* Human Resources – $1.76M
* Municipal Court $.14M
* City Clerk – $1.2
* Housing Operations – $.05M
* Department of Public Works & Transportation – $.01M
* Fleet Service – $.89We respect the tough position you are in. Such a position requires moving beyond platitudes and generalities and into a real discussion about exactly how tough the choices before us are. We look forward to you all taking that next step with the community.
Sincerely,
Michael Jacob on behalf of the Policy Committee of Progressive Dane
