Monday, June 27, 2011

WHIOtv: Greenville Makes Staff Reductions To Balance Budget

Click on the image below to see the video report from Steve Baker, including comments from Mayor Bowers on today's announcement.





According to this report from WHIOtv.com, the City of Greenville is cutting approximately $1 million from it's budget for 2012. Some details are available at the link above, and they include cuts to services and programs, as well as to the headcount of several departments. UPDATE: It's been clarified that 7 total positions will be eliminated, including 2 from the Fire Department and 2 from the Police Department.

Click here to view the full story. As more details become available, we'll post them.

What's your reaction? Happy to see the tough calls being made? Think some things are too important to cut? Can we afford the cuts? Can we afford not to cut?

37 comments:

  1. Not an officer, but pro GPDJune 27, 2011 at 4:11 PM

    My reaction? It's complete bull that you have a full time FD staffed to do a little over 400 calls a year, 95% of which are complete bull. How many true structure fires does the city do of those supposed 400 calls, bet I can count on one hand how many. While the city PD responds to probably 20,000, just listen to the scanner sometime and it doesn't take long to figure out the trash they deal with and how busy they are. Take away the FD, make them volunteer/part time and give the city more officers. The city would be saving close to $2 million if they went away from full time. I don't think there's anyone that feels too safe anymore in the city of Greenville, especially with the influx of drugs and street trash you have coming from out of town. I don't think anyone could disagree with this.

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  2. I disagree....to an extent. I do not think that they should be getting rid of either PD or FD employees. Coming from someone who lives in a "volunteer" area, you do not know how lucky you are to have a FT fire dept. If it was your house burning, you would be glad that you had a department who could be on scene in 3 minutes instead of 23 because they had to wait on people to man a truck. I agree with you on the PD. Although I feel extremely safe as a woman in Greenville, there is a lot of trash moving in that they are doing a good job of cleaning up. I know Greenville used to be less crime, but we still have it good.

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  3. I have to say that i agree with both posts somewhat.This city DOES NOT NEED A REDUCTION IN POLICE FORCE, ACTUALLY WE NEED A FEW MORE - look around, drugs, crime, its at an all time high in our community. Almost everyone has a cell phone and if you look at you bill, you will see that a 911 excise fee is there - that goes to the County - not the city dispatch. We could combine our 911 systme, just like what Miami County has and combine the fire departments and utilize the years of experience that is present in combing forces. This would save thousands of dollars to the city. I would also hope that the city looks at reducing programs, such as recreation, which I hate to see go, however, recreation does not protect me, the police force does. Kudos to the GV PD and Darke County Sheriff's for what they do to protect us - now its our turn as citizens to speak up and let our opinions be known. The GV PD did a survey a while back and I am interested to see what those results were. City administration, its time to let go of "control" and do what is best for the citizens, remember we are ones that voted you in!

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  4. Laying off cops is just a terrible idea, with all the stuff going on in this town?
    What are they thinking? or are they?
    The city leaders knew the decreases in funding were coming, still they were caught flat footed, again.

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  5. I bet there not done it is only going to get worse the tax money not there they will cut more jobs this year with the gas prices and the price of milk people are cuting what they need to do i have a yard service and some customers are not treating there yards that is a way to cut cost then in return less money for my income less taxes.

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  6. Who are they getting rid of in the parks department, hhhhmmmmm, you have 2 maintenance workers, a rec director, and a park super to oversee this, dont you think we should do away with the top since we all try to figure what he really does anyway. Lets be smart about this, I love our parks too but you must have maintenance at a minimum. Cut the top to start.

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  7. I totally agree with the fire department reduction. Finally people are seeing that we can run on less. City workers when you see one you see about four of which three are talking while one is working. I am glad that the city is finally stepping up with reductions instead of more taxes!

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  8. 8:49 you are right about that - but think about it - we still need our Police force fully staffed - however, our fire department and administration should pull up thier big boy panties and stop with the control issue and combine fire departments - its the right thing to do - saving money and saving lives. why is the city not talking about other options - CONTROL?

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  9. Fact- when there is a reducation in law enforcement crime goes up! At the same time law enforcement is being reduced the number of inmates in prision is also being decreased.
    As a single woman, I do not feel safe in this community. Few years ago, a woman was taking a walk in broad daylight in a nice area in this community. An unidentiflied male grab her and pulled her behind brushes. She was able to escape without harm.
    I'm disappointed in the decision to cut spending by reducing law enforcement and the fire department.

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  10. Using the same philosiphy as many others if you want a volunteer/paid on call fire department, lets get rid of the police officers and get auxiallary officers.

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  11. I find it funny many are saying get rid of the FD and go to a volunteer department but none of you have stated you will volunteer. Anything to save a buck.

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  12. DR. D,

    Fire-2+ million a year for 500 or so calls

    Police-How many THOUSANDS of calls a year?

    Your "philosiphy" is flawed.

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  13. 10:01-- The city already has six volunteers and the township has a lot more. Let the township scoop up the cities volunteers and do the fire coverage in the city for a smaller fee that what the tax payers are paying now in the city.

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  14. A volunteer fire dept. is not an option, Maybe a combination of part time and full time with volunteers to augment them would work, but there should never be less than 4 on duty, at the station ever.

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  15. The township doesn't have any voolunteers, they get paid for their runs

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  16. You all say why have 2 FDs Ask Mr Stegall! they can save money by creating another FD. How much money has been spent since they have started? I take my hat off to the guys that are on the FD but want to know how close to 1.5million dollars have they spent. Lets talk numbers. How much have you saved? What are the TRUE response times?

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  17. Here we go again. Back to the twp/city debate. What is done is done people. Now move on and get over it.

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  18. Why not go with contract work. There is all types of companies that perform these duties and the savings are tremendous

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  19. Good to see the city making some needed cuts. Everyone is cutting back, be it state county or city. s far as the park maintenance goes I know it is probably not legal but I would love to see the inmates at the jail doing it.

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  20. I think the city and the township FD need to stop their childlike petty squabbling and do what is best for the taxpayers of our county.

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  21. I agree with 7:04.. It would probably be the first job most of those scumbags have ever had. lol

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  22. Great idea 7:04. Those inmates need to do something besides play basketball and lounge around. Many a times when going to Dayton I've seen inmates working the ditches in their prison uniforms. As for cutting the police-stupid idea. I have a scanner and there are not enough officers especially at night to keep up with the crooks who invade homes, businesses and cause damage around town. They only ones saying yes to this cut are the crooks

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  23. The Police Department handles between 30,000 & 33,000 a calls a year. It has been understaffed for the last 14 years.

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  24. How is it that we manage to pay the park superintendent $56,000.00 + a year and then layoff 4 members of the cities safety staff? I don't know about you but I'd rather have criminals off the streets than an over-paid park superintendent. We have 4 full time employees working in the park, yet signed a contract with Flory’s Landscaping to mow and remove snow. The entire salary line for the park’s department is close to 200,000.00 per year not including benefits; that’s just crazy at a time like this. What ever happen to merging street and park? What is the park board doing, trying to run the City into the ground?

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  25. I wonder how many department heads are willing to take a cut in pay, what about the city attorney, will he help and take a cut. People in other towns, states, and numerous jobs are taking wage cuts to balance the books and keep working. What about here?

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  26. 8:28, I agree with the merger. It's probably got something to do with the union. Why do we the tax payer have to have unions, we did not vote on a union and if it is our money that pays the bills then why pay the union. The street dept. is where a lot of waste happens. How many men do you need to hang a small sign

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  27. I wonder why the city never asked the unions to take cuts to keep jobs?

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  28. Looks like people are blaming unions for the shortfalls in the city budget, then how is there such an outcry by the people in Darke County to kill senate bill 5?

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  29. the reason the park and street has not been combined is that the park board was created by the citizens back in the 30's(?) and it must go before the citizens to abolish the board before they could do a combination. Unfortunately the park board power to be isnt smart enough to realize the community would benefit from this and wont bring it to an election.

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  30. 7:02:
    The unions, teachers, and public employees weren't the problem until they were accused by the new gaggle of right-wing governors, including Ohio's. Yes, cuts in wages and benefits are indeed necessary and justified, but should begin at the top and work down. Senate Bill 5 is simply taking advantage of a situation to attempt to kill unions.
    While unions have overstepped their reasonable bounds, they remain a necessary alternative. Those who support Senate Bill 5 must believe that every public official, every school board and administrators, and every board of County Commissioners always will do the fair and proper things with any checks or balances.

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  31. Annon 6-29-11 9:55pm Do you even know who is on the park board? How many meetings have you attended? Have you asked any of the park board members what they are doing to make cuts? A little over 10 years ago, the park received over 1.6 million/year and had 12 workers. They now have a budget of less than $340K and 4 workers with more facilities that the city mandates them to maintain. I think they have made some good moves and cut out a significant amount of government waste.

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  32. Anon 6-30-11 8:30am Yes I do know who they are, only two of them now and from what I understand they know it all. Yes I have attended several for your information, and the attendance has mostly been mute. Yes I have asked a park board member what they are doing to make cuts, basically they are because they have been forced to do it, and have not gotten to the real problem of the whole park problem, leadership my man leadership. Obviously you must be one of the two powers to be that doesnt understand we can do without, for example a rec director who picks up trash on a daily basis, thats a rather expensive picker to me for trash when the city has a contract for trash pickup in the city, hhhhmmmm, anyone think of maybe having that thrown into the contract to take care of in the park. I can go on but I wouldnt want to make you look stupid. I pay my taxes for better things to be done from higher paid employees Thank you

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  33. Anonymous
    June 30, 2011 9:40 PM

    I am one of the park board members, and have not seen anyone, since going on the board in the spring, at any meetings that did not have business before the board. You can thank union issues for why more work has not been contracted out up to this point. I invite you to come to our meetings and provide your insight. There is a public hearing section at each monthly meeting (fourth Tuesday of each month in chambers at 6 pm). I volunteered to be on the board because I care abouth the parks and the community as a whole. If you care about the community, come and voice your concerns. It appears to be easy remain anonymous and criticize rather than to be part of the solution. There is an open position on the park board, and your insight may be valuable to helping improve things.
    Respectfully,
    Matt Kolb
    Park Board Member

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  34. Mr. Kolb,
    Always the union to be able to blame it on. There are 4 employees and 2 are union so don't feed me a line I've heard many times before. You have been in your position a very short time so dont tell me I havent been there, just not under your helm.
    Give me a break about the trash pickup on broadway and the city park trash cans not being able to have been negotiated into rumpkes contract, it has no bearing on those union employees. You didnt have a problem with contracting out mowing and snow removal services, futhermore by bidding out not once but twice so the others prices could be seen and then bidded to the park board presidents cronnie. We can read between all the lines. You need to make your own decisions, not what your other counterpart thinks should be right.
    You have a mess, now its time to clean it up and spend my tax money wisely, and my input and others havent been listened to before so it wont change.

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  35. Anonymous
    July 1, 2011 11:04 PM

    I did not say you've never been to a park board meeting, just no one has attended while I have been on. It was a unanimous vote to use Flory, not just the pres. and Flory does not handle snow removal. Again, if you really want things to change for the better, I invite you to attend meetings, or better yet, fill the open park board seat. As you stated, I am new. I have no preconceived notions and am open to hear any and all viewpoints as long as they are helpful and/or constructive. If you know me as well as you insinuate, then you know how to get in touch with me and we can have an intelligent conversation about the parks. As I indicated before, I am open to ideas to help improve the parks and this community.

    Respectfully,
    Matt Kolb

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  36. I dont need to be on a board to realize right from wrong. Just do the right thing period. We as a community have seen and watched how it has all taken place over the last several years.
    How many donations have been turned down directly by the board from people who have given for many years? Ask your president he would knows. Many things just not on the up and up. Sorry your involved with it.
    Why

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  37. Oh I forgot to reply to your comment on unanimous vote, yes it may have been but you were not on board when in december it was bid out already and then it was asked to be rebid, very sneaky Id say. Not only that, I was told how real vague the specs were on that bid proposal so it could be changed. Sorry not entirely knocked towards you, just realize what and who you are dealing with now.

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