As revenues fall during one of the deepest recessions in recent memory, Durham city officials will approve a budget with some of the largest cuts in more than a decade.
The 2009-2010 fiscal year budget-which was presented by City Manager Tom Bonfield May 18 during a city council meeting-calls for $11 million worth of spending cuts for a final budget of $344.4 million, a 3.1 percent decrease from the previous fiscal year. There was a $4.75 million reduction in revenue and a $9.28 million reduction of expenditures for the general fund, which is financed by taxes and fees and used to fund nearly every public service and job provided by the city. The Durham City Council will vote to approve the budget June 15.
The 4.3 percent decrease in approved expenditures from last year represents the first decrease since 1996. City officials suggest, however, that the budget is simply a reflection of the current economic difficulties.
"This was an exceedingly difficult budget and if you look at the state budget-good God almighty," said City Council member Eugene Brown. "We have had two recessions since 1990, one in 1991 and the recession of 2002, and this is three- to four-times worse than either one of those."
The budget calls for the elimination of 113 jobs, 35 of which were filled. Since the original budget presentation May 18, four of the city employees whose positions are being eliminated have either found different jobs or retired, Bonfield said in an interview.
"We're working with that group because we still have 75 vacant positions within the city that they may be qualified for and we're also working with Durham county and Durham Public Schools to identify positions within their organizations," he said.
Public Affairs Director Beverly Thompson said the reason some vacant positions were being eliminated but others were not was a result of a long process where each department head within the city was asked to prioritize each position and program.
Both Bonfield and Thompson cautioned that despite the fact there are more vacant positions than employees who were losing their jobs did not mean that all of the employees would remain employed by the city.
"We don't put people into positions just to fill them," Thompson said. "They have to go through skills assessments in order to ensure they are able to fulfill the position."
City officials were adamant that the decrease in labor force will not mean a decrease in services the city is able to provide.
"Most of the positions we looked at, they were management of internal services positions," Bonfield said. "In terms of impact, there will be some reduction in turnaround time, but nothing we believe will have a drastic impact on city services."
But City Hall is not the only place that will see fewer faces-the Durham Police Department will not fill 16 vacant positions. Although this is not a decrease in the current number of police, it has many worried about the force's ability to protect and serve.
Durham Police Chief Jose Lopez said he thinks the impact on police services would be "minimal." He added that the department will keep a watchful eye on crime trends to monitor the impact of their decision to freeze hiring.
"Nothing is written in stone," Lopez said. "If I feel something needs to be addressed, then I will move resources around and make sure we are able to address the issue."
One particular concern is the elimination of three domestic violence investigator positions, a decision that was poorly received by some members of the community when it was reported by The (Raleigh) News and Observer May 30.
The decision means that there will be a 15 percent decrease of follow-up visits by domestic violence investigators, with officers conducting interviews over the phone instead of in-person. Lopez said some people may be confused when they hear there will be a decrease in visits, but that every domestic violence call will still be responded to by an officer.
Despite the elimination of several positions, the department's $47 million budget is a 5 percent increase over last year. Lopez said the extra funding would be used to increase officer pay and services and to enhance incentives for men and women to join the force, since recruitment is something the force has struggled with over the years.
"It's quite evident that the community is concerned about public safety and the mayor was aware of that and I think that's why we fared so well," Lopez said.
The increase of the department's budget is a result of the city's commitment to maintaining core services, such as public safety, garbage collection and water and sewage, Thompson said.
"I would not have supported the budget unless core services are safe and I think they are," Brown said. "I think no one likes the budget but that it is the harsh reality of the economic crisis we face."
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