By Tony Burchyns
The Vallejo Times Herald
BENICIA, Calif. — Among the hard budget choices facing the City Council is the possible elimination of the fire chief and police school resources officer positions.
The council tonight will discuss these and other options as city leaders try to close a $1.7 million deficit for fiscal year 2011-2012. No immediate action is expected; the council has until June 30 to adopt a balanced budget.
Other options released by city officials last week include reopening talks with labor groups and using reserve funds, including money set aside for capital projects and grants for community-based organizations.
“These are very difficult recommendations to make, but in difficult times you have to make difficult decisions,” City Manager Brad Kilger said Monday.
City officials came up with a list of 10 positions for possible elimination, also including two firefighters, the police night lieutenant, a police sergeant, the animal control officer, the library’s technical services manager and the community preservation officer.
The community preservation officer assists with fire-code enforcement.
If the fire chief position were eliminated, city officials said in their report, it would be feasible to consolidate police and fire into one public safety department.
Also, eliminating the firefighter positions would require a change in daily staffing, city officials say, from eight to seven firefighters during the months of November through May.
Like many cities, Benicia has struggled to avoid red ink while not harming services. The city has frozen 15 vacant positions since 2009 and eliminated a number of jobs last year. But city officials say the new round of cuts would have “noticeable impacts” to services.
To soften the blow to any one set of services, the city may use a mix of sources to come up with the needed savings. Roughly $200,000 are available in fund for capital projects and about $470,000 is set aside for vehicle and facility upkeep. Both accounts can be tapped for other purposes.
Also, the city council may decide to reassign portions or the roughly $855,000 allocated for grants and gifts to community-based groups, such as the Benicia Historical Museum, a literacy program, crossing guards and arts and human-service groups.
The council meets at 7 p.m. at 250 E. L St.
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