City Manager Mary Suhm: Budget Cuts Necessitate Laying Off 850 City Hall Workers

By Robert Wilonsky Fri., Aug. 7 2009 at 1:30 PM

Categories: News

Moments before her budget presentation to the media, scheduled to begin any second, City Manager Mary Suhm called with a bit of a sneak preview. We'll have more shortly, upon our return from City Hall, but when asked what was the most difficult cut she had to make to balance the $190 million deficit, Suhm took a long pause, then said, "I don't know if there one thing. It was really about balancing the needs and desires of the citizens and the council vis-à-vis the money. Lots of things are important to lots of people, and I tried to address those at a level that makes sense and makes the budget."

She said that when all's said and done, she will have to lay off 850 City Hall employees, who are expected to get their pink slips next week. But, she insists, there are vacant positions to be filled -- and some of those could be funded with federal, state and Enterprise Fund money. She says she expects 300, 400 full-timers will ultimately find themselves unemployed because of the budget cuts.

Building inspection will suffer a massive cut -- somewhere between 60 to 70, Suhm says. Also cut dramatically: historic preservation, which will be left without support staff.

"There aren't a lot of people saying, 'I need a building permit' these days," Suhm says. "And that's a you-eat-what-you-kill department: Inspection fees pay staff, and if no one's building or remodeling anything, there aren't any permits buildings."

More shortly.

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Mary Suhm

Recession or not this is a complete mis-management of funds. Sooner or later buying new systems every year and getting $25,000 bonuses will catch up to you. I don't see Mary Suhm saying she will take a pay cut to save jobs.When you look at 840 jobs being cut know that you didn't do your job and You Ms. Suhm should be the next to go. Citizens should know that if you thought the lines were long before to get help at city hall know that it will be longer. Know that when you call 311 it will take longer to get the calls answered.At the end of the day I pray all the employees find other employment but know that the citizens suffer a lot more than those employees. So is that why you're paying your taxes?
Everyone enjoying that "Hope and change " you voted for?
Recession or not, when you get paid more than the people doing the work... well... And I do not agree with this near sighted forecasting of business. Business managed correctly can handle the economic ups and downs.. and when it can not hold its own and DOES resort to slash and burn style firings, its just further evidence that incompetancy or complete neglect is at the top. Not. Good. Ever.
Back up kids...we're in a recession. City revenue/income is way down; just like the private sector. Based on your arguments, the principals at my 20 year old private firm also "failed to adequately forecast, plan, manage and budget" for this clusterfuck of national economic turmoil. We have laid off 80% of our staff and taken substantial pay cuts. Our forecasting and planning was right on target for 20 years, resulting in a thriving, job-producing small business. No one is happy about the resulting losses (income, jobs, pay), but it is what it is and we are accepting it and trying to improve. The city budget issue may have some mismanagement, but let's look at the bigger picture and comparatives with other cities and towns. We're in bad times and the City isn't immune. If we have some specific mismanagement to call Shume out on, then let's do it, otherwise step back, take a deep breath and count to ten.
Mary Suhm does not have a clue at what she is doing and this is how we got so in the RED with this. In my opinion she was not qualified to do this job and here's the proof. But unfortunately we the citizens are the ones that will have to pay the price with our jobs while she sits back and collects her overpaid salery.
I'm with Anonymoose on this one. I know that it's always easier to add programs now and worry about funding later, while cuts are incredibly painful. But they happen one way or the other, and this massive budget cut is far more jarring than a yearly review of programs that have overworn their welcome, are completely useless, etc. Maybe I'm just watching this closely enough, but there doesn't seem to be nearly enough shame on the part of everyone who drove the budget off a cliff. I know they are politicians, so they are incapable of comprehending that their actions lead to our current situation, but it would be nice if they at least seemed to feel bad about it.
Why is this situation not seen as incompetence or mismanagement on the part of the city manager? Either a) she allowed huge amounts of unnecessary expenditures to bloat City Hall into the red, or b) she failed to adequately forecast, plan, manage and budget, thus necessitating this slash and burn approach. What am I missing? I feel like I must be oversimplifying here; someone please help me out.
But all those folks who get fired can have a reunion in a few years at the new convention center hotel, right?!?!