Waniewski suggests alternative budget cuts to cutting truck from Central Avenue Fire Station
This in via e-mail from District 5 Toledo City Councilman Tom Waniewski:
Toledo City Council
Tom Waniewski
February 15, 2009
District 5 Toledo City Councilman Tom Waniewski today announced a plan to keep the ladder truck #25 right where it belongs — stationed at the Central Avenue location.
Included in this release is a letter Councilman Waniewski will be delivering to the administration along with a list of savings of more than $1.4 million. “I’m concerned that whenever there is a need to trim public safety, west Toledo is the first place to look,” Waniewski said. “They eliminated the roll call from the northwest district station last summer. Now this.
“In my continued reviews of the 2009 budget, it is clear there are still many non-essential allocations that can be trimmed. My plan is to provide $1.4 million in savings. The money will be used to hire a fire class with the remaining dollars offsetting overtime costs while the firefighters are being trained,” Waniewski said.
Waniewski said with overtime costs brought into line, we can start thinking about a police class. “This will be an incremental step toward protecting public safety,” Waniewski said. “I respect the mayor’s efforts to bring the budget in line in a very trying time, however, when west Toledo provides some of the largest revenue streams for both city and county government, the least we can expect is solid safety services.”
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Dear Mayor Finkbeiner: February 15, 2009
While I recognize the need to trim costs in the city budget during these tough times, and while I recognize your sensitivity to citizens’ safety when looking at the police and fire budgets, I respectfully request that you do not reduce either equipment or human resources at Engine Houses 25 or 23 – the two stations in the district I represent.
With the reduction in roll calls at the northwest district station, and now the proposed elimination of an engine ladder at 25, you are sending the wrong message to residents of west Toledo when it comes to public safety. This area continues to provide, I would argue, one of the strongest revenue streams to city and county government. Thus, the residents deserve their money’s worth.
Included with this letter is a plan to cut more than $1.4 million from the 2009 budget and use the savings to hire a fire class, which will reduce overtime costs providing further savings to the city. With these proposed cuts, it is my belief that the negative effects to the fire department will be mitigated.
Respectfully,
Tom Waniewski
Toledo City Council
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Proposed 2009 Budget Savings – Councilman Tom Waniewski
Account – Description – Savings
01-0100-3740 – Council Professional Services – 11,000
01-0200-3765 – Mayor Membership & Dues – 10,000
01-1300-112002 – Youth Commission – 115,000
01-1680-634001 – Demolition – 400,000
01-6010-000314 – Downtown Landscape – 140,000
01-6030-000315 – Athletics – 457,000
01-6030-716002 – Nature Education – 135,000
05-6030-5810 – Golf Improvements – 153,000
Total: $1,421,000
Good ideas and a nicely written letter. Worded much differently than what I’d send the Mayor right now.
I believe the word ‘asshat’ would be used.
February 15th, 2009 at 2:21 pmTom Waniewski is my council person and this is exactly why I respect him so much
February 15th, 2009 at 2:43 pmLisa-Renee:
Being a city auditor, do yourself a favor and call the auditor’s office and ask for a list of last year’s expenses in these areas and for a list of appropriations for this year. Particularly in Council Professional Services. My experience has shown that quite often council people will make these suggestions without knowing exactly what was paid for last year and what is being appropriated for this year.
As you probably already know, this would be a public records request and it shouldn’t be a big problem to have a printout. Copies may cost you some but ask if it can be e-mailed to you. Some auditors will do that and others won’t.
Just a thought for you.
February 15th, 2009 at 8:57 pmSeems like Mr. Waniewski has been listening to Maggie Thurber too much.
She recommends cutting the Youth Commission because all they do is “spend money”.
Plus, she recommends cutting the recreation budget even though it’s already half of what it was in 2008.
These recommendations come from a man who loved the idea of showing “Passion of the Christ” to give teens something “positive” to do last March.
What will they do this year?
Does he have more “tax free” movies to show them?
February 16th, 2009 at 12:15 pm