2/19/2007: Alex Davy: Maplewood decides against more firings
Lillie Newspapers:
Three heads slated to roll in the latest Maplewood budget proposal were saved by a unified council determined to meet inflationary costs without firing city staff - or raising taxes.
City council voted 5-0 Dec. 10 to send the budget back to city staff for review during a marathon council session that wrapped up shortly before midnight. If the council did not agree to lay off two city planners and a business-license specialist, $250,000 would have to be cut from the budget, according to City Manager Greg Copeland.
The unanimous decision represents an approach markedly different from the past two years' massive reorganizations, which resulted in the elimination, firing or resignation of more than a dozen personnel.
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Rossbach says he supports the lowest possible taxes for Maplewood citizens, but was concerned the council rushed into the levy freeze without doing any research. "We did it without any knowledge of how it would impact the future," he says.
Still, both Rossbach and Longrie are confident the city can trim the budget in time. "The original budget did not represent enough input from the city's department heads," Rossbach says. "But with everyone working together, we can make the most of our resources."
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