Officials say more cuts could hinder Portsmouth's services

PORTSMOUTH

Some city officials told council members this week that an additional 5 percent cut to their budgets would hurt their ability to provide services.

The school system could be forced to lay off 45 teachers if the City Council votes to adopt a budget with an additional funding cut of 5 percent, a schools official wrote.

The proposal would mean about $2.5 million less for the school system - and the number of possible job cuts is more than the number of teachers currently working at Churchland Elementary School, according to an e-mail written by Dan Pendarvis, the school system's assistant superintende nt for budget and planning. That's on top of a $1.1 million reduction already proposed in the upcoming city budget.

He wrote that the state sent the system $5.9 million in stimulus money to compensate for an $8.1 million state funding cut but said the city now wants to take more than half that money - $3.6 million - in cuts.

A t least two council members questioned whether the school system would actually need to lay off those teachers.

"It may have been a mathematical answer, but they know full well it wasn't the intention of the question," Councilwoman Elizabeth Psimas said. "That was a political answer."

Division and department heads broke down the potential impact of further cuts in a packet that was provided to the City Council on Tuesday night. Members, who requested the information at a work session last week, are currently studying the information.

Other potential cuts could include street lights, some city events, equipment for firefighters, street repairs, and not filling some vacant positions.

S ome council members said that while they asked City Manager Kenneth Chandler to provide a list of potential cuts, they didn't envision they all would be implemented.

"Five percent was thrown out in conversation at our last meeting as a 'what if?' and we got an answer," Psimas said.

The City Council is considering options to potentially avoid a proposed 5-cent real estate tax increase for the upcoming budget year, from $1.21 per $100 of assessed value to $1.26.

Chandler originally proposed an 8-cent tax increase but the council has since discussed a 5-cent increase.

To keep the rate at the same level, the City Council needs to find $3.5 million. The 5 percent budget cut would total about $6.5 million.

Councilman Doug Smith said that the city might be able to find about $1 million in savings out of the potential cuts that department heads outlined.

The possible 5 percent cut comes on top of an 11 percent reduction that most city departments were already asked to submit as part of Chandler's proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year.

Several constitutional officers also opposed any additional budget cut.

"To be quite honest with you, we can't support another 5 percent," said F.D. "Frankie" Edmondson, Portsmouth's commissioner of revenue.

He said his department would have to cease some operations, which he questioned, since his department generates revenue for the city.

"There is no fat left," said Portsmouth's Clerk of Circuit Court, Cynthia P. Morrison.

She said that her office already eliminated part-time positions last year. And she said that an additional 5 percent cut would affect her office's ability to meet state requirements.

Jen McCaffery, (757) 446-2627, jen.mccaffery@pilotonline.com