After more than three-and-a-half hours and much intense discussion Wednesday night at City Hall, the Artesia City Council approved the budget presented by City Clerk/Treasurer Aubrey Hobson for the 2015-16 fiscal year.
Before the Budget Committee presented an expense reduction plan, the anticipated budget shortfall by the end of the fiscal year was anticipated to be $1.2 million due to Gross Receipts Tax revenue falling from last year. After the budget – which states that $254,650 will be cut for the fourth quarter and $829,600 annually – was approved, $370,400 will be sought from the general fund reserve.
As a result of the necessary budget reductions, future essential positions within the city will be replaced on a case-by-case basis, all non-essential travel and training will be suspended, tuition reimbursement will be suspended until further notice, purchase cards will be consolidated by department, all non-essential purchasing will be suspended, overtime will be controlled by department, and a reduction in force by department will be made.
“The only thing we were able to come up with was getting into jobs, and none of us wanted to go there,” said Mayor Phillip Burch. “I think generally we’re trying not to believe that this is a serious, serious situation we’re facing, and it is serious.”
The jobs being cut will include:
• two positions in administration – totaling $28,250 for the fourth quarter and $113,000 annually;
• one position in Planning and Development – totaling $19,125 for the fourth quarter and $76,500 annually;
• four positions in police – totaling $64,000 for the fourth quarter and $252,000 annually;
• one position in Human Resources and Information Technologies – totaling $19,000 for the fourth quarter and $76,000 annually;
• one position in fire – totaling $84,000 annually, as well as furloughing staff for two days this quarter for a total of $40,000 for the fourth quarter;
• three positions in Infrastructure – totaling $33,775 for the fourth quarter and 135,100 annually;
• and 35 temporary positions typically held by teenagers in the summer for a total of $22,750 in the fourth quarter and $91,000 annually.
Initially, this sparked much debate among the councilors who aren’t members of the Budget Committee, namely Jose Luis Aguilar and Raul Rodriguez, who were initially against the expense reduction plan.
Aguilar was in favor of dipping into the general fund reserve for the entire shortage.
“If we don’t do anything tonight and we dip into the reserve to balance the budget, we can be balanced,” said Aguilar. “The general fund is for a rainy day, and we’ve got a rainy day now.”
However, other councilors pointed out that action would only solve the problem short-term.
“Probably one of the toughest parts of one of the first [budget] committee meetings was the discussion, ‘Do you let it ride into the end of the year and then let it ride off a cliff?’” said Councilor Bill Rogers. “We all came out of that meeting with our heads down.
“The easy way out is to do what you just said, to just pay for it and then we’ll deal with it next year. We’ve got to start slowing this thing down, though, so that when we get to 2016-17, we’ve got a little room. We have to start somewhere.”
Eventually, the council agreed to adjourn into a lengthy executive session and came out to approve the expense reduction plan 6-0, with councilors Kent Bratcher and Jeff Youtsey absent.
“I’d like to thank the department heads for their input, as they’re the ones who have to carry this out,” said Burch. “We all realize this is not easy right now, and it may not get easier anytime soon.”
