It is certainly not a pleasant time when people lose their jobs, and that possibility exists for some Oro Valley town workers when the council meets tonight. (March 4)
Obviously, Oro Valley, like every other municipalities is suffering with financial woes due to circumstances beyond their control. However, the council, hopefully will decide what actions to take in an unemotional, but fiscally responsible way.
Please read The Explorer article on this subject, including some of the potential cuts under consideration.
http://www.explorernews.com/articles/2009/03/04/news/doc49adba78a289e972640023.txt
23 comments:
Problem is not unique to OV!! Sure the town can come up with some solutions.
Try asking each dept. head to cut a certain percentage of their budget.
try voluntary furloug's for some employees. Some may want the summer off or want more time off without pay.
Maybe job sharing or maybe try a pool of non-essential employees who
work on an as needed basis.
If I had a choice between losing my job or working 4 days a week, well guess what I would decide.
!
And then we have the library issue!!!
Council needs to maybe try to give control back to the country at least until the economy gets better . Then again it may never get better.
About the utility tax. I don't favor the utility tax, but will not have a "tea Party" if council decides to continue for another year or two.
I do have a problem with the whole concept of spending more then we have and bigger government.
If the Town needs to cut then it needs to cut! There is no reason that government should be exempt from downsizing just as as private industry must when times get tough. Yes, I may sound harsh, but I am of a generation that when things got tough, the tough got going and didn't expect 'guarantees'. Most certainly I realize that we are in exceptionally difficult times but if you can look back at the early 70's the mid 80's, etc.and know that those times were also financially weakened, then you can realize that then, too, we had to 'scramble'. One of the differences now, however, is that too many folks think that governments are responsible for their health and welfare; if that kind of thinking persists, if you can't figure out how to pull yourself up and expect that others must also, then our historically innovative society will collapse. Then what?
I will voluntarily help if, where, and when I can, but don't ask for my support in assisting to carry unnecessary baggage just because it's a 'feel good' thing. Leaner and smarter - that is a work ethic that's going to have to be rediscovered and practiced. Tea anyone?
MSCOYOTE has it right. From what I've gathered by several employees, there were no alternative options like furloughs, working less hours....it was cut jobs only....meanwhile, the Town Manager who has to drive this train, reaped an over $30k pay increase not more than 3 months ago....go figure...
OV Citizen, your only argument seems to be that the Town Manager makes too much money - that, sir, is subjective and therefor invalid as fact. He is presenting an overall package to cut expenses in order to meet a definitive shortfall and that does include some decrease in personnel (as I read it, in particular, including certain positions that were enabled by the TEMPORARY 'utility tax'). PLEASE, READ THE WHOLE OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS AS PUT FORTH BY MR. ANDREWS - then, and only then, can you speak with some veracity. Oh, and by the way, in case you hadn't noticed, most local governments throughout the Country are having to make cuts IN SERVICES AND PERSONNEL; that is fact!!!
This is a PROPOSAL by our Town Manager, Mr. David Andrews. In order to implement all of it, part of it, rework it, or deny all of it, our DULY ELECTED Town Council will have to vote on it. Anyway you want to look at it, Citizen, that's the way it is!
Zev, this council owns the town manager and that's that. This economical downfall of Tow of OV was well insight last year, prior to the pay freezes, pay cuts, council getting meals at every session, etc. BTW, you may think it was the paid plus $30k town mgr that has been making the call but......hmmmm....keep thinking that....and oh yea, I had read everything the day it was posted...
Sorry, my error...Town of Oro Valley...hope you'll be there tonight....SRO
Once again, only this time it's "OV Citizen" who hides behind a pseudonym making derogatory comments about our town manager.
And is David Andrews "owned" by the whole council, or only any particular four that can terminate him at any time?
When you're inclined to besmirch the reputation of a good man, you ought to be man/woman enough to identify yourself.
I guess that's probably asking too much.
ARTMARTH:
WTF? What is with the ""OV Citizen" who hides behind a pseudonym"
Just about all the people who comment on this site use a pen name. That is the custom on WWW.
I doubt anyone is hiding. We all sign in with email addresses which can be retrieved if required.
If you don't like pen names, then we should investigate changing the policy on this blog.
Nombe (not my real name) Watanabe
My issue is NOT "Pen" names. It's denigrating someone while hiding behind that "pen name."
It's really so easy to do, without any concern about being identified.
Nombre W--- If it's so easy retrieving someone's email as a result of signing on to the blog, I'd appreciate you telling us how to go about doing so.
Citizen, you say you read everything from the day it was posted; does that include the 'Council Communication' included in tonight's relative packet, proposed by the Town Manager and written to the Town Council? Yes, there were a lot of things that the Town might reasonably should have known relative to this current predicament; I don't know anyone however who could have predicted same to the extent that it came about, even those in our Federal Government who started or 'assisted' the whole of this latest
domino 'show'. Let it suffice for me to state that I do have a couple of close relatives in very 'high' places in the 'financial world'; it is thus that I do get a 'bit' of direct insight that most cannot.
Now, back to our Council and our Town Manager - you state that they should have seen certain things/trends 'long' ago.
This council has been in existence for a relatively short time; this Town Manager has been in our employ likewise; even if they (part of them) understood what might happen, there wasn't much they could do about it as they were perhaps not in a POSITION to, could they?
And, just in case you hadn't read it in one of my previous posts, my wife was a budget coordinator for Wake County in North Carolina for approximately 12 years. Don't ever think that I don't 'understand' local governments!
And, Citizen whomever, you do need to brush up on your writing skills; some of your sentence and paragraph structures are difficult to figure out. I say this not because I want to demean you, I simply would like to be able to understand you and, at times, I can't. And yes, I'll be at the meeting tonight.
Well Artmath, we know where your loyalties lie then. David has been the OV Town Manager for how long? Longer than you, I or Zev have lived here put together. This down fall of our economy within the town has been on the table for quite awhile. Mr. Andrews has been at the helm this whole time as he gets the $30k pay increases; the town has been and is losing money, employees, and services. I’m not trying to rehash what already has been discussed. This is a fact and can’t be rationalized, disputed, or blamed upon past councils. Zev has a point of “lean and mean” and I’ve been through those times as well. The fact still remains that the revenue stream that the town has is dwindling, with nothing new on the docket. Pro Pres. Obama folks say, give the President a chance. Well, this town council has been in control much longer and has done very little to add to the Town’s positive cash flow. The proofs in the numbers…..
BTW, your constant rhetoric and “derogatory comments” towards the non-LOVE Blog town council and leaders has been more than apparent. You can’t have it both ways man, your blog or not.
....and what would you do, if you diod get my e-mail address? HMMM
sorry "did" typing to fast....Zev, noted...
Ov Citizen--- Typing is the least of your problems.
You ought to be more concerned with your facts.
I cite your statement---
"David has been the OV Town Manager for how long? Longer than you, I or Zev have lived here put together."
That statement has the same credence as your prior comment about who "owns David."
WRONG ON BOTH COUNTS--- but that probably won't deter you.
I have no interest in knowing your email. Just keep commenting as you do, hiding behind the veil of secrecy!
Citizen, Mr. Andrews became the Town Manager effective September 1, 2006.
After Art's post, need I say more?
I stand corrected. David has been with the Town for longer then all of us living here, would be a more appropriate statement..... Fact still remains, he as the Town Mgr and the current Town council have done very little, to help the positive cash flow for the town. Nothing more needs to be said...except you obviously have no comment on your commentary regarding your “derogatory comments” towards the non-LOVE Blog town council and leaders.
See ya tonight
So, Mr. Citizen, what could the Town Manager and Council have done to increase cash flow - buy up the town? And, what is this BS about my(?) derogatory comments towards the "non-LOVE Blog town council and leaders"? You are either naturally non-sensical or in some other kind of stupor. In any case, any more of your ludicrous blather will be met with silence; though I can discourse with an opposing view AND respect it, I cannot and will not 'argue' with an empty suit.
Please note that, although I came to the meeting, I was forced to leave early do to a personal emergency.
Zev, sorry for your personal emergency and hope everything is alright...The comment regarding the negative statements towards non-LOVE council members and leadership were completely pointed at ARTMARTH since his comments can be quoted in almost every post he writes. My apologies to you for you thinking it was towards you.
Hats off to Mayor Loomis, Vice Mayor Karter, and council members Kunisch and Abbott for having some sense and wherewithal to dig deeper, to see what best matches the town's employees, services, and budget rather than just furlough willy nilly. HHMMM, what a concept...new and old council members working together.
Carter only voted against the layoffs on the final vote because the rest of the council didn't go along with his plan to fire 6 cops along with the 21 other employees.
Personally, I agree with Carter....27 Town jobs aren't less important than 6 police officers which may be funded anyway. Also, not one support staff of OVPD was on the docket to be cut, interesting
About these layoffs within the OVPD. Are these all police officers that are to be laid off, 6 I believe is the total or are civilian employees within the department targeted for layoffs too? I understand if the federal government doesn't provide the grant that the CAT will be disbanded but those officers will be retained.
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