Des Plaines cuts a dozen jobs to pare budget

Des Plaines aldermen have given preliminary approval to a 2009 budget which includes $1,278,827 in job cuts and other programming reductions to the general fund in response to the difficult economic conditions the country is facing.

Eleven full-time positions and one part-time position will be cut, saving $750,000. But police, fire and public works services to residents will not be compromised, city officials stressed.

They wouldn't comment on what positions would go, but a union representative for janitors indicated five of those jobs might be outsourced.

In a separate vote, the council set in motion a property tax levy increase of just under 1 percent to fund police and fire pensions. This translates to $2.15 per month for a $250,000 home or $4.29 per month for a $500,000 home.

By state law, all police and fire pensions must be fully funded by 2033 and the city is gradually working up to that goal, according to Jason Bajor, city manager.

"If we do not gradually increase our funding of these pensions, we will be unfavorably reviewed by the bond agencies during any fiscal review and that will put us in a poor financial position," Bajor warned.

While all of the aldermen agreed on the need to meet the city's pension obligations, First Ward Alderman Patricia Beauvais and Third Ward Alderman Laura Murphy urged Bajor to find the necessary $208,983 through further cuts to the general fund.

Fourth Ward Alderman Jean Higgason, on the other hand, refused to vote in favor of a budget which cut the jobs of Des Plaines residents.

Eighth Ward Alderman Rosemary Argus expressed regret that a property tax increase was necessary at a time when residents will also be wrestling with a 15 percent increase in water rates which is being imposed on Des Plaines by the city of Chicago.

As a purchaser of water, the city is obligated to pass that rate increase along to residents.

In the end, Murphy, Higgason and Argus cast the dissenting votes on the budget, which is expected to be up for final approval Dec. 1.

The cuts approved include the cancellation of $61,500 in funding for city special events like the New Year's Eve celebration and the Taste of Des Plaines.

Instead Bajor said that he would like such events to be handled by a nonprofit organization using volunteers as they do in Park Ridge.

Other cuts will include cancellation of two internships at $31,200; a $54,000 salary cut for the position of city clerk; cancellation of $81,445 in reimbursements for staff to attend conferences; cancellation of a $95,000 community notification system to help the city contact residents in emergencies; discontinuation of a $100,000 facade and landscape improvement program for local businesses; a cut of $40,000 in city assistance to the Frisbee Senior Center; and a $65,717 cut in contractual services and commodities.

"This is taking an unfortunate toll in terms of personnel," Bajor acknowledged. "But these are tough economic times and we need to balance the needs of employees with the needs of 60,000 residents."

The city also is delaying some capital improvement fund items, including construction of a fourth fire station at an estimated cost of $5.6 million, adding a training tower at another fire station and delaying the purchase of two dump trucks and two squad cars.

Even with the cuts, the city has only one month of operating expenses on hand in the general fund instead of the three months considered prudent, Bajor said.