Lansing police, fire could face big cuts
Official: Rejection of tax proposal may bring 120 layoffs
11:35 PM, Mar. 14, 2011 Lansing police and fire departments face significant cuts if a proposed property tax increase is not authorized by voters, Finance Director Jerry Ambrose told City Council members Monday.Between 150 and 200 city positions - many of those police officers and firefighters - would be eliminated to help close a $20 million budget gap, Ambrose said.
No final decisions have been made, Ambrose said, but officials said as many as 60 firefighters and 60 police officers could be laid off.
Other cuts include eliminating road reconstruction projects and sidewalk maintenance as well as more furlough days for non-emergency city employees.
The May 3 ballot question would allow the council to raise $8.5 million. Ambrose also raised the possibility that about $7 million in state revenue sharing could be restored.
Police Chief Teresa Szymanski said in a statement that the cuts would make it impossible to maintain the level of street patrols now in place.
Instead of having 17 to 19 officers deployed at any one time, there would be 13 to 15, she said. Initiatives like community policing, school resource officers and the department's motorcycle division would likely be reduced or eliminated, she said.
Fire Chief Tom Cochran said in a statement that the cuts to his department would result in longer response times for fires and other emergencies. Three of the city's eight fire stations could close.
Ambrose's cuts assume that the budget deficit will be $20 million.
In an interview, Councilman Brian Jeffries said that number is likely inflated and makes assumption such as every vacant city position being filled.
Still, Jeffries said the budget situation is so dire, there may be no choice but to cut public safety. Residents, he said, should brace for a reduction in services.
The city, Jeffries said, has not effectively dealt with a structural deficit for the last several years.
"We haven't made cuts that actually change the structure," he said, adding: "We kept putting band-aids on it, hoping next year is going to get better. I don't think the city of Lansing can get away with that anymore."
For the last five years, public safety has been spared from significant budget cuts, Ambrose said.
Since 2007, Ambrose said, police-fire department staffing has decreased less than 4 percent, compared with a 26 percent reduction for the rest of the city's work force.
No final decisions have been made, Ambrose said, but officials said as many as 60 firefighters and 60 police officers could be laid off.
Other cuts include eliminating road reconstruction projects and sidewalk maintenance as well as more furlough days for non-emergency city employees.
The May 3 ballot question would allow the council to raise $8.5 million. Ambrose also raised the possibility that about $7 million in state revenue sharing could be restored.
Police Chief Teresa Szymanski said in a statement that the cuts would make it impossible to maintain the level of street patrols now in place.
Instead of having 17 to 19 officers deployed at any one time, there would be 13 to 15, she said. Initiatives like community policing, school resource officers and the department's motorcycle division would likely be reduced or eliminated, she said.
Fire Chief Tom Cochran said in a statement that the cuts to his department would result in longer response times for fires and other emergencies. Three of the city's eight fire stations could close.
Ambrose's cuts assume that the budget deficit will be $20 million.
In an interview, Councilman Brian Jeffries said that number is likely inflated and makes assumption such as every vacant city position being filled.
Still, Jeffries said the budget situation is so dire, there may be no choice but to cut public safety. Residents, he said, should brace for a reduction in services.
The city, Jeffries said, has not effectively dealt with a structural deficit for the last several years.
"We haven't made cuts that actually change the structure," he said, adding: "We kept putting band-aids on it, hoping next year is going to get better. I don't think the city of Lansing can get away with that anymore."
For the last five years, public safety has been spared from significant budget cuts, Ambrose said.
Since 2007, Ambrose said, police-fire department staffing has decreased less than 4 percent, compared with a 26 percent reduction for the rest of the city's work force.
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