My post on Friday regarding City Council members opposing Mayor Jerry Sanders’ proposal didn’t include much information on what council members want to cut instead of libraries and recreation centers.
For the most part, council members have piggybacked on alternatives already offered by Independent Budget Analyst Andrea Tevlin, such as mandatory furloughs of city employees, user fee increases and across-the-board cuts of hours at libraries and recreation centers.
Councilman Tony Young had the most specific suggestion that Tevlin had not offered, which was to consider reducing the amount of money being put into what are called “stabilization funds.” These funds, which are above and beyond the normal annual bond service, go toward paying down the debt for such things as Petco Park bonds, trolley extensions and Balboa Park improvements.
Expect City Council to talk about this when it meets today.
Here are a couple of other things to expect:
- Councilwoman Donna Frye said she wants to discuss Tevlin’s suggestion on mandatory furloughs. The Sanders administration has said that instituting mandatory furloughs on such short notice would be difficult because it would require the blessing of the municipal employee unions. Also, administration officials point out that employees already enrolled in the voluntary furlough program might drop out of that program if mandatory furloughs are instituted.
- Councilwoman Toni Atkins wants more discussion on cutting hours at all libraries and recreation centers rather than closing some libraries and recreation centers. City Park and Recreation Director Stacey LoMedico, and Library Director Deborah Barrow, have both said cutting more hours from already bare-bones operations would be logistical nightmares.