Due to increased inquiries about the budget, Mayor Franklin offers the following statement.
Since January, this administration has held several public meetings to discuss the budget. I announced our findings to the City Council in a public meeting in January. The Chief Operating Officer, Greg Giornelli met with the Council again in March and I held another community meeting to openly discuss the budget with stakeholders. Closing this budget gap is a work in progress, and we will continue to answer questions and discuss the entire budget when it is released on May 1, 2008.
Personnel costs including benefits comprise 70% of the General Fund. As I have stated before, we are considering all of our options including a reduction in staff and services, outsourcing and consolidating services. Even in these tough economic times, I think we still have a responsibility to the taxpayers to stabilize the city’s finances and that is my continued commitment.
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