Mayor's budget cuts 10 positions, adds 2

Mayor Gary Becker introduced his 2008 budget Monday night. Here are 10 points in the mayor's plan:

1. The mayor wants to eliminate 10 positions to save about $956,000 per year, plus any savings that comes from outsourcing the city's MIS (computers and technology) department. The eliminated positions include: one police officer, three firefighters, two employees in the health department, the director of the Humboldt Community Center, one parks department truck driver and an employee from the library.

1 1/2. We just got this from the city. The proposed levy (the amount the city will raise in property taxes) for next year is $42,093,601 -- 2 percent higher than this year. The proposed tax rate went down slightly, but as the mayor pointed out, it doesn't mean anything because everyone's assessment went up more than 2 percent. So, basically, everyone is paying about $20 per $100,000 in assessed value more in city taxes next year.

2. The city would outsource its MIS department, but will hire a technology department head to manage the outsourced employees. Velocity, a private company that runs the county's information systems, will be hired to run the city. The city will not bid the contract, because it needs to move quickly and Velocity is a proven commodity, Becker said Monday.

3. The state budget surprised the city, because it included a 2 percent limit on property tax levy increases. The meant city staff had to meet Saturday to cut $580,000 out of the mayor's budget. The cuts were made with minimal disruption to the mayor's original plan, though he did have to pull an extra $200,000 out of reserves.

4. Mayor is adding two positions. One is a full-time employee in the planning and development department, in part because the department is overwhelmed with work. The second is a grant administrator who Becker sees as an ambassador in the community helping non-profits work together to secure private grant money. They'll also oversee city grants, taking over that duty from an accountant who is retiring next year.

5. Becker said there simply isn't a need for the Humboldt Community Center director, who is paid $60,000 a year plus benefits. It's up to the parks department how it will manage the center, but Becker saw the Tyler-Domer director overseeing both centers.

6. Take $40,000 of the dollars saved by eliminating the community center director and give it back to the parks department for programming.

7. The new position in the planning department will help oversee the various business districts throughout the city, including the proposed arts district in Uptown.

8. The city's health care costs are projected as even, or may go down slightly, next year.

9. The mayor's budget calls for borrowing $7.9 million next year for the capital budget. The budget includes $200,000 for the parks and recreation department to fix up parks and community centers. "It's a visibility thing," Becker said describing the money for parks and rec. "It's the statement you send to the community. Not everyone has money to run to the country club. We really do try to strive to make our parks and community centers as attractive and welcoming as possible."

10. The budget goes to the City Council for debate. The council can change anything in the budget, but the mayor has veto power over the changes.