Williams has plan to avert 34 layoffs

Bonuses for not using sick pay? Ok so everyone will call of sick now.

Bonuses for having a college degree? I would think the bonus would be acquiring said ob in the first place.

It's no wonder that Youngstown has no money. Next year they should give bonuses for being able to spell union.

I'm actually SHOCKED that the mayor of Youngstown makes over $100,000.00. that seems like way too much. Even with a ten percent decrease. I personally think that Politicians should be paid minimum wage so that we can see who really wants to do the job, not reap the benefits. If I recall correctly, John F Kennedy donated his ENTIRE Presidential salary to charity.

Taken directly from Vindy.com article Feb. 2008:
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Since taking office Jan. 1, 2006, Williams said crime reduction is his top priority. If crime is out of control, it brings down the quality of life in the city and drives away businesses and economic development, he reasons.

It’s been something Williams has had to deal with constantly.

Before Williams could move into the mayor’s office, the city had two murders in the first two days of that month.

There were 32 murders in 2006, two fewer than in 2005, and 39 in 2007. The city didn’t get off to a good start this year. Six people, including four young children, were killed Jan. 23 in an arson.

Williams has expressed outrage at brazen killings and has become an outspoken critic of black-on-black crime.

Under his watch, the city implemented a zero-tolerance program in 2007 that featured saturated police presence, with the assistance of other law enforcement agencies, in certain areas during certain times of the year. Williams wants to use other crime-prevention programs that have succeeded in other cities to tackle this issue here, and expects to have something in place this year.

How Williams has addressed crime is the top criticism of his detractors.

“He came up riding on a clean-up-crime train, but it either derailed or hasn’t left the station,” said Abdul Harris, an East Side resident who works as a special education teacher at Eagle Heights Academy and is a community activist.

But Councilwoman Carol Rimedio-Righetti, D-4th, said Williams is working hard to decrease crime.
“He’s trying desperately to address safety issues,” she said. “Safety remains the biggest problem. Anyone in that position would be facing the same issue.” -----

"Working hard to decrease crime"... by targeting the Police Department for Layoffs? 850 Youngstown City Employees and 26 of the 34 layoffs will come from the P.D. None from City Hall? It's pretty obvious that the P.D. is being downsized. The elimination of 28 Det.Sgt. / Lt. / Capt. positions was the first clue. The public doesn't see it. In the next 1-1/2 years about 35 Police Officers (ranking and non-ranking) will be retiring. There is no plan to hire 35 Police Officers to maintain the Police Dept. in it's current understaffed numbers. Wake up everyone.

Police do not get paid enough as it is. Jay, we are not turning a wrench to build a car so don't compare us to the UAW. You work for $1 a year and then I will consider a reduction. It is sickening that you sit in your office and think of us as "just police officers." The answer is no untiil you lay off your unneeded staff and take a more serious reduction in your pay.

To the General Public:

We are committed to providing the best service with the best qualified personnel. However, it is very difficult to attract and retain individuals when you have an administration that wants to systematically dismantle the police and fire departments only to replace them with $7 an hour security guards from his church.

Furthermore, it is even more difficult to provide services with a reduced staff, an ill equipped police force and unsafe equipment. No concessions should be given until this administration reveals the city’s true budget and how money has been miss spent on projects and staff that should not have been considered until Youngstown’s emergency services were adequately staffed and equipped.

P.S. Do the citizens of Youngstown realize that they pay an extra “safety forces” tax?!? You should be outraged at the thought of layoffs of these services. Where is the media on this one?

I say if youngstown needs money, then do what every other business is doing these days, fire people and make everyone else pick up the slack at the same wage they made before. If the workers in youngstown don't want the opportunity to keep a job at less money, they can go and try to find one somewhere else. Bye. I know alot of out of work professionals right now who would love the chance to take a city job regardless of what the pay is. A job is a valued thing these days, and if people don't recognize that then tell them to hit the bricks.

I have a plan, Jay. Reduce your pay to that of a 1st year patrolman and your "plan" will be considered. Your reduction in pay of course would only be temporary until the police and fire departments have the equipment, staffing and training they reequire.

That won't work blkpride, Jay's plan is to run around in circles putting out small fires and collecting 100 grand a year until he can get appointed to a bigger and better political job somewhere else. MINIMUM WAGE FOR POLITICIANS NATIONWIDE!!!!!!!!!!!

Hey, we should put a reduction to the mayor's pay on the next ballot

Boardman, since it is so obvious I'm surprised that I've never thought of that before or even heard that before.

What an amazing idea for politicians to make minimum wage.

Jay isn't even the highest paid employee on the Y-town payroll. Blaming Jay for the financial mess in Youngstown is the same stupid argument that people use when blaming the salaries of CEO's as causing the demise of corporations. Foolish.

Public sector employees are simply out of touch with economic reality. Time for them to feel the same pain that the private sector is feeling. Either take cuts or face layoffs. No new taxes to fund those ridiculous wages and benefits.

Lay us off then apollo.

Then I too can collect SSI, unemployment and welfare on your $$$$. Just sit back and enjoy life.

Oh we will blkpride, the taxpayers will revolt. You can't have the taxpayers providing Cadillac wages and benefits when we are experiencing declining wages and benefits. The coming SERS/PERS/STRS storm is brewing too. Taxpayers won't fund retirements at 50 and health care for 30-40 years when we are being forced to work until 70.

sounds good to me, apollo.

I understand that Jay is not the highest paid employee, however, he opened that can of worms by offering a measley reduction in his pay. Plus, you are missing the point, he needs to be held accountable for his mismanagement of taxpayers money and come clean. He is not King of the Castle. He works for us and needs to realize that. I am sick of these mayors, senators and congressmen giving away money to "lux apartments" downtown, AIG, passing bad legislation that lets anyone qualify for home loans even if they don't have the money to pay for it. This practice needs to stop. It is what got us in this mess

10% is measly and yet the city workers refuse to accept that measly cut? If it's so measly, why won't the public workers accept it?

I'd say taking a 10,000 cut is pretty decent of Mayor Williams and quite the leadership decision.

Expecting union thugs to do the same is where he is naive. Public trough feeders think the taxpayers are bottomless pits who can be held hostage.

I called my congressmen today to support HR 1189 for The Early Detection & Prevention of Colorectal Cancer Act that has 20 co-sponors to provide screening and follow ups to LAID OFF workers and underinsured workers. Call Congress today in support of HR 1189. Call the C3 or Colorectal Cancer Coaliton at 866-615-3375 to make it easy to urge our congressmen to become a co-sponsor of HR 1189 RIGHT NOW! Yes, now! Go! Our unemployed workers need screened if they are 50 plus years old or sooner if they have a family history of cancer. March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness month by the way. Phone today if possible but phone later if you must, but phone your elected representatives about this life or death isssue. See, early detection is like the cure, really.
Some these laid workers may already have colorectal cancer and not even know it. I didn't, when I was laid off about three years ago. My former CEO had a heart because he maintained my Blue Cross/Shield coverage when it was supposed to end two months after my lay-off. Early Detection is like the Cure! Let's get this important cancer screening with follow ups for our laid off workers with this bill HR1189 by calling 866-615-3375 today, please.

apollo, as usual you're slanting the facts, and ignoring the facts you don't want to acknowledge because they inconveniently shoot holes in your hare-brained conspiracy theories.

Jay figures he's giving up the equivalent of 10% by picking and choosing a few bennies here (that he didn't want anyway) and a few perks there, and just a little actual money for appearances' sake. I think blkpride's idea of reducing Jay's pay down to what the working stiffs earn is a good one. And Jay is a first-termer, so he gets the entry-level wages.

Or maybe Jay should let the workers pick and choose what bennies they and they alone want to give up, and let them decide when 10% of their pay is met by giving back things they didn't use anyway. BTW, all we have to go on is Jay's word that he gave back what should total about 10% of his pay, when you include the non-monetary items he gave back. What, exactly, did he give back? How much actual money, and what value did he assign to the non-monetary items he's using?

No, it's much easier to just mindlessly bash public employees. They're always the bad guys, and the 'way overpaid and 'way underworked big shots are always blameless.

Have you ever seen a politician with his hand in his own pockets?

Apparently the City of Youngstown can't utilize stimulus money to retain Police. In 2002 the City of Youngstown had a $2.5 million dollar deficit. (see Tribune Article below from 07-02) At that time 60 City employees were laid off. 11 were Police Officers. This Mayor is laying off 34 City employees and 26 are gonna be Police Officers. Explain the logic in this. Does this Mayor have a personal issue with the Police, or was Mckelvey just a much more logical mayor?

Deficit Forcing Youngstown To Lay Off 60 Workers
Story from William H. Owen from the Warren Tribune Chronicle on 07/25/2002.

YOUNGSTOWN - Facing a $2.5 million deficit in 2002, the city announced the layoff of 60 city workers.
The layoffs include 21 workers in the Police Department, including 11 police officers, 15 firefighters and 24 other general fund workers who could be without work for a year or more.

Mayor George M. McKelvey said the layoff notices will go out Friday and Monday, effective in seven days for some and 14 days for others, depending on union contracts. All will be in effect by mid-August.

McKelvey said that despite the layoffs and the early retirement buyouts taken by 41 city workers, the city will still end 2002 in deficit, and that is if ''nothing else goes wrong.''

He said the deficit is now sitting at $2 to $2.5 million of the city's $48.9 million budget - about 5 percent. He said the deficit is the result of the Phar-Mor closing, the closing of the private prison, the loss of the police COPS grant, no income tax growth and an anticipated $900,000 drop in the inheritance tax.

Besides the safety forces, the layoffs include workers in the finance, public works, parks and Health Departments and a city council clerk.

ALL POLITICIANS INCLUDING WASHINGTON SHOULD AND MUST HAVE PAY CUT AND FREEZE. WASHINTON ALSO HAS TO HAVE THE ABILITY TO GIVE THEMSELVES PAY RAISES TAKEN AWAY!

JAY.....LAYING OFF PD AND FIRE! WHY DON'T YOU LAYOFF ANY OF YOUR CHURCH FRIENDS YOU HAVE RECENTLY HIRED SINCE ENTERING OFFICE! THEY AND MANY OTHER IN THE OFFICES WILL NOT AND ARE NOT THE ONES ON THE STREETS DEALING WITH CRIME! IT IS TIME THIS TOWN WAKES UP!