Suffolk budget plan saves a little here, a little there

SUFFOLK

To cut costs, Assessor Sid Daughtrey said he might get lanyards for his staff, so they can hang their pens around their necks to keep from losing them.

"We're just going to have to use every drop of ink," he said.

Daughtrey was joking, but he does need to get thrifty. His office is lined up for a smaller budget beginning July 1 than it had two years earlier, even though it now has two more positions. His proposed budget is 16 percent smaller than his current one.

The challenge is a familiar one across Hampton Roads, where local governments are reviewing their next budgets and trying to balance the numbers amid falling revenues.

"Like everybody everywhere is," Daughtrey responded when asked how he'll meet the challenge. "More conscientious about the resources you use."

Other city departments would see similar cuts, though the size would vary.

City Manager Selena Cuffee-Glenn targeted expenses this year to cover a $9.3 million shortfall. She bridged the gap in her proposed $164 million operating budget without seeking a tax increase or laying off workers.

It'll take a keen eye to spot some of the cuts. Budget Officer Anne Seward said staff worked to reduce expenses without sacrificing services.

Among the reductions:

- Library materials might look a little dated. The budget for books and subscriptions was cut by a third, to $100,000.

- Parking officers would make fewer rounds. Their funding was reduced by $29,000.

- Some employees would look a little more pedestrian on the job. The budget would save $17,200 by eliminating uniforms that aren't considered critical for safety. They'd still have ID badges.

- Employees, including police officers, would no longer be allowed to take work vehicles home if they live outside the city. That's estimated to save $40,000.

The plan also calls for reducing the city's contribution to schools by $3.5 million, a 7 percent cut that Cuffee-Glenn expected federal stimulus money to cover. The biggest new fee is a proposal to generate more than $600,000 in revenues by charging for bulk refuse pickup.

Even the police would share in the cost-cutting. The department would see its operating budget fall by 4 percent. That includes a 19 percent reduction in money for overtime, part-time and seasonal pay, to $533,000.

Meeting the latter target would require a sharp reversal from recent years. The police have already spent $696,000 through the first seven months this fiscal year. Last year, it spent $1,098,000. The year before that, $956,000.

Interim police Chief Thomas Townsend declined to comment on his proposed budget, saying it wouldn't be appropriate to do so before it is approved by the City Council. The vote is scheduled for May 6.

Sgt. Fred Cunningham, president of the Suffolk Police Officers Association, said the budget crunch in the city so far hasn't affected the manpower on the streets.

"So far everything's been good, but it's all been in flux," he said.

Much of the savings would come in smaller doses spread throughout the city.

On-call pay would be eliminated to save $147,000. Another $136,000 was cut from cell phone and PDA expenses.

The city would save $27,000 by forgoing its annual employee service award program and $13,000 by eliminating free flu shots for workers in the Department of Fire & Rescue. Employees who would have been recognized at the annual party would still get their day off, and health insurance plans would cover the flu shots, Seward said.

Yet another $12,000 would come from suspending a tuition reimbursement benefit for employees. And less money for books, dues and subscriptions across departments would contribute to $36,000 in savings.

"We were looking to really shake out the change," Seward said.

In the end, it all added up to a spending plan that thrilled City Council members for what it didn't ask for - a tax increase.

Dave Forster, (757) 222-5563, dave.forster@pilotonline.com