Statement: “We’ve been able to make those cuts without dramatically cutting services. We’ve done that by competing out some of the functions like our IT function. Received about a 55 percent reduction in costs by doing that,” Mayor Jerry Sanders Feb. 8, 2010 on Fox Business Network describing how the city has closed past budget deficits.
Determination: False
Analysis: The city hasn’t outsourced information technology services.
Sanders has proposed that the city outsource a portion of its IT services, but the City Council hasn’t seen the contract to do that yet.
The city has closed the greatest portion of its previous budget gaps by slashing positions and using one-time solutions like tapping reserves. But the ability to outsource most city services, approved by voters more than three years ago, remains stuck in labor negotiations.
So in short, Sanders got a little ahead of himself.
Sanders’ spokeswoman Rachel Laing said the mayor was speaking about the overall streamlining of city government, but that he wishes he had this one back.
“I think he would have stopped himself and gone back if he wasn’t on live TV,” Laing said.
Here’s the video. The comment starts at about the 55-second mark.
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— LIAM DILLON