Budget Proposals Call for Elimination of City Positions
FFFF was just sent a few pages from the latest budget proposals, which the Fullerton City Council will soon vote on. The true costs of Fullerton’s pension debt are coming to bear, as the proposals call for the elimination for firefighters, police corporals, maintenance workers and security guard services.
These reductions will be necessary in order to offset significant increases in CalPERS pension payments for existing employees. Most of the budget is allocated to staffing, so city staff claims there are very few non-staffing cuts to be made.
From here, it will only get worse. CalPERS will continue to lower its discount rate, triggering higher bills for cities across the state. We are looking at many more reductions in services and increases in taxes and fees over the next few years.
Will our council have the guts to pull the trigger and start making severe cuts now? Or will they postpone action until insolvency becomes inevitable?
Cities are going to push for the state legislature to tax the hell out of us to cover their pension shortfalls. That’s why a swift response to the gas tax is so important.
Happy to see cuts being proposed, but come on people…
A 1 or 2 percent reduction is all they’re asking of department heads at this point? Shouldn’t that instead be proposals for a 5 or 10 percent reduction?
How dare they get rid of heroes!
I notice SCAG dues didn’t make the list. Poor Bud Chaffee strikes out.
The funny thing about this is the timing with the selection of the New Joe Felz.
Yes, it’s intentional. Roeder was hired to put a crap budget together and then absorb any public outrage that should be directed at the council.
Fitzgerald spent the last election bragging about adding cops to the payroll. Now she has to take them away. Stupid.
All this sounds like 1993. Except the tax roll-out option. Are there a long line of boo hoos, and the families of cops and firemen getting ready to start crying at the june council meeting?