San Bernardino budget crisis could reverse anti-crime efforts

San Bernardino budget crisis could reverse anti-crime efforts
Andrew Edwards, Staff Writer
Posted: 02/03/2009 02:50:42 PM PST

SAN BERNARDINO - This financially racked city is planning to fire dozens of cops and firefighters, close three branch libraries, shutter an Operation Phoenix center and whack three dozen workers from Parks and Recreation and Community Services.

Additionally, city workers are being asked to take a 10 percent pay cut.

Interim City Manager Mark Weinberg is proposing dramatic cuts in order to solve a budget problem that he says threatens to put the city in a $9 million hole for the fiscal year ending June 30.

The proposed cuts, revealed Monday night, would affect almost all city departments. Across the city, Weinberg is proposing to cut San Bernardino's payroll by 217 positions.

"It's absolutely inescapable, in my estimation, that we can make the cuts that need to be made without layoffs," Weinberg said during Monday's City Council meeting.

Although San Bernardino's politicos have had differing opinions on how best to battle crime, the imperative to improve the city's law enforcement capabilities has been a recurring theme in city affairs since Mayor Pat Morris assumed office in 2006.

In Morris' first year in office, he oversaw the establishment of the Operation Phoenix crime prevention program and the passage of Measure Z, a sales tax referendum that enacted a quarter-cent tax hike to finance public safety initiatives. A key component of the Measure Z sales pitch was the promise of 40 new police officers.

Weinberg's
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proposals spare neither Operation Phoenix nor Measure Z. The potential cuts include the closure of the eastside Operation Phoenix youth center, leaving two such centers open in the city.

Proposed police layoffs would mean that 29 men and women who carry guns and badges could lose their jobs. Police could also lose seven civilian employees and helicopter patrols would become a thing of the past.

Morris did not register any opposition to Weinberg's proposals during Monday night's talks, and indicated that painful cuts are inevitable in the kind of economy that has been devastating for the city's auto dealerships, which had been a lucrative source of tax revenue.

"We are in a conundrum here that has no precedence," he said. "We are looking at stark realities of an economy here."

Seventh Ward Councilwoman Wendy McCammack was the most vocal opponent of sweeping budget cuts during Monday's discussions.

Although Weinberg has also proposed an array of new fees that could raise more than $500,000, McCammack opined that city officials have not done enough to find new money sources before considering layoffs.

"We really are not being as prudent as we can be to raise revenue," she said. "You don't cut first, you raise revenue first."

Other proposed layoffs include 10 firefighters, the elimination of eight library jobs that would lead to the "temporary" closure of the Inghram, Villasenor and Rowe branch libraries and the elimination of 36 jobs from the already understaffed Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department.

"Somebody suggested they've been disemboweled," Weinberg said referring to proposed Parks cuts.

In addition to layoffs, Weinberg is calling on remaining city employees to take a 10 percent pay cut. For the public, that will mean reduced access to city departments since he is proposing for city offices to be closed on Fridays, beginning March 6.

Police and firefighters cannot take a day off, so Weinberg wants their unions to agree to a 10 percent pay cut.

Playing hardball, Weinberg has proposed additional layoffs if safety employees don't make concessions.

Those additional layoffs would fall heavily on Police on Fire.

Police could lose an additional 20 sworn positions, including a captain. Fire could lose a battalion chief and a dozen firefighters.

The City Council has not yet taken action to approve any of the proposed cuts. However, the body did vote on Monday to allow city administrators to prepare layoff notices and begin adjusting work schedules in anticipation of a four-day week.

The vote to prepare for budget cuts was 5-1. McCammack cast the only "no" vote, and 6th Ward Councilman Rikke Van Johnson said at the conclusion of the meeting that the final budget cutting decisions have not been made.

My gf works for the county. I wonder how all this shit will affect her. If she loses her job, we're fucked.

Damn...good post. They was talking about San Bernardino hit hard by the economy all over the news...didn't think all this was gonna happen. Looks like they closing down all the San Bernardino City Librarys...except the 6th Library, the biggest one.

The problem with temporary cuts and closings is that they all to often become permanent. Especially in a case like San Bernardino's where there is no prospect for recovery. The ill-advised spending of hundreds of thousands of dollars on environmental studies and plans for luxury housing that nobody could afford or wanted is one example of why and how San Bernardino is in a decades long tailspin. Closing the Villasenor and Inghram libraries was proposed months ago by that transplanted Coltonite on the city council and his plans for mobile library units for the north end of town. Now here we go again only the reasoning has changed. His plan ignores the federal funds attached to these libraries, not to mention the after school programs they host but who cares right, it only affects the ni--as and mexicans anyway right?

I heard yesterday that Arnold wants welfare to be a county thing, not state. Delegates from San Bernardino and Riverside County are going up to Sacramento to try to stop it. They're even talking about a lawsuit. San Bernardino County barely has enough $$ to pay their employees and are understaffed. They're already being asked to cut services like in-home support for the elderly. If this thing goes through, which may be soon, shit's gonna pop off.