Addison alters police furloughs

Addison officials on Monday made a slight tweak to how village staff salary freezes will be administered.

Village employees did not receive cost-of-living increases in 2009 or 2010. The village has not made decisions about 2011, since budget discussions for the fiscal year are just beginning.

While most opted simply to forgo a cost of living increase, Addison police command staff instead accepted raises but gave back the money by accepting furlough days tied to their holidays.

Village Manager Joe Block said this measure allowed these police to earn proper credit for their pensions while still accepting the same concessions as other Addison employees.

But the command staff requested their furlough days now be taken monthly, rather than pairing them with holidays.

“They were losing money inconsistently and at bad times,” Block said. “This evens it out.”

Addison's total raise freezes have saved the village approximately $800,000 annually over the past two years, officials said.

The village is among most DuPage County suburbs making difficult cuts in order to plug budget shortfalls — in Addison's case, $1.5 million this year — due to the recession and the state's $13 billion budget deficit.

While the Addison has not laid off any village employees, it did offer early retirement packages. Officials also decided not to fill several posts left vacant by attrition.

In addition, like several other municipalities, the village also had to cut festivals, including its annual fireworks.

The 25-year Addison tradition ended this year, saving $25,000.