Williams, unions to talk budget deficit

By David Skolnick

The mayor will meet Tuesday with department heads to discuss the budget.

YOUNGSTOWN — Mayor Jay Williams said he’ll meet next week with the heads of the city’s employee unions to discuss ways to reduce the city’s projected budget deficit.

Salary and benefit concessions will be part of that “wide-ranging conversation,” he said.

“We need to discuss salary and benefit concessions as a measure to try to reduce layoffs,” Williams said. A date for the meeting will be decided shortly.

City administration officials said last week that reducing the city work force by 60 — or the financial equivalent of those layoffs, $3.9 million in salary and benefits — is needed by July 1.

But after a recent re-examination of the budget, further layoffs are also possible.

“It’s a difficult decision,” Williams said. “A majority of the cuts are associated with employees. We need to work to reduce the number of staff” layoffs.

On Wednesday, city council approved the 2008 city budget during a brief meeting.

The general fund budget council approved included a $2,997 surplus as of Dec. 31, 2008. But a budget revised in recent days by the city finance department calls for a $3,035,704 deficit by year’s end.

If no cuts are made, that deficit would grow to about $6 million by Dec. 31, 2009, Finance Director David Bozanich said.

After cuts are made, Bozanich said council will approve a revised budget, something that should be done in about 60 days.

Williams will also discuss possible budget cuts Tuesday with his department heads at his monthly Cabinet meeting.

“We’ll go through every department looking for savings,” he said. “We need to talk with each department about the approach we’re taking and what can be done.”

A struggling economy combined with increased personnel costs are largely responsible for the city’s budget problems, Bozanich has said.

skolnick@vindy.com