Signs of the Times
Today we read in the Statesman that the City of Nampa is laying 16 people off. (It also said "the cuts weren't based on the positions that could be pared with least impact on city operations and services to residents - either this is a gigantic typo or Nampa is ridiculous). We also read that the Eagle Library is cutting an unspecified number of employees.
This follows on the heels of layoffs in Ada County, Canyon County and other cities.
ACHD has so far done furloughs and cut the budget in operations and capital projects to the tune of $10 million or so. But that begs the question and it's one about which no one wants to talk.
Can ACHD really sustain a workforce built for a budget of $82 Million while only having real revenues of $72 million or less?
UPDATE: Looks like the Nampa story involved a gigantic typo after all, since the text on the Statesman website now reads "The cuts weren't based on people involved, but on the positions that could be pared with least impact on city operations and services to residents, officials said." Whew, good to know that Nampa isn't the ridiculous one in this story.
posted by Sara @ 8:26 AM
3 Comments
3 Comments:
Sara, I'm just a dumb ol' citizen, but I've NEVER understood what appears to be a top-heavy public relations function at ACHD.
If the organization chart (on your website) is accurate, you have:
- Senior Manager, Communications
- Receptionist
- Webmaster
- Business and Neighborhood Relations
- Public Relation Specialist
That's a LOT of public relations! (Perhaps some of those are part-time positions... one would hope so!)
Some citizens would argue that the elected Commissioners should be serving the "public relations function" as part of their duty.
I'm just worried that if you end up doing layoffs, you'll lay off the guys who patch potholes and fix traffic signals, and hang onto the P.R. staff.
Well, Bikeboy, you're absolutely correct and I will fight layoffs that actually impact the public, which maintenance would do. And no, none of those PR jobs is part-time.
Interestingly, we have already as a commission gone on record (or as much as not taping allows) that maintenance is one of the core functions that did not take a hit during the last budget cuts. There budget was trimmed in things like uniforms and admin type functions, but the maintenance and the equipment to do the maintenance is intact.
Sara,
Thank you for all the hard work you have been doing to fix the issues within the ACHD. I also enjoy reading your blogs since I am able to keep up to date with what the ACHD is working on.
Do you have any ideas on when some of the ideas to speed up the flow of cars at stop lights will be discussed in the meetings?
Thanks
Robert
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