toledoblade.com --

It will cost Toledo taxpayers $2 million to hire new police cadets and firefighters next year - money the city doesn't have in its 2009 operating budget.

Without those classes, fire department overtime costs are expected to increase, and manpower in the police department will reach its lowest level in more than two decades.

Councilman George Sarantou, finance committee chairman, said finding the cash to hire more police officers and firefighters for next year is "the
No. 1 budget issue" facing council in dealing with the proposed 2009 operating budget.

"We all recognize that we need to have police and fire classes," Mr. Sarantou said. "Now what we have is a $2 million problem."

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The future of the police and fire classes dominated discussions at yesterday's three-hour finance committee meeting.

Mayor Carty Finkbeiner announced Saturday the city would hire no new police officers or firefighters in 2009 to save $5.3 million toward the needed $21 million in cutbacks built into next year's operating budget.

West Toledoan Mike Kookoothe yesterday urged council members to find the money needed to hire the classes.

"Do what you have to do," said Mr. Kookoothe, a retired Ford Motor Co. engineer. "These are critical services. Give them the things they need."

John Sherburne, right, and Fire Chief Mike Wolever listen to a discussion about the future of the city’s police and fire departments.
( THE BLADE/AMY E. VOIGT )

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City Finance Director John Sherburne said members of the administration understand the need to hire new police officers and firefighters.

"I don't think there is anyone that says we don't need a police and fire class," Mr. Sherburne said. "I don't know where additional funding is."

Councilman Joe McNamara presented a plan Wednesday to fund new classes of police cadets and firefighters at the end of 2009 by altering the way the city's 0.75 percent income tax is allocated. The income tax, which was renewed by voters in March, is allocated equally to police, fire, and other safety departments; the general operating fund, and the capital improvements fund. The tax will run through Dec. 31, 2012.

Mr. McNamara wants voters to approve changing the income tax in 2009 to allocate half to police and fire and the other half to the general fund for the remainder of the next year after a September election.

Mr. Finkbeiner yesterday opposed the idea.

"It is imperative that we have capital dollars available to meet our basic infrastructure needs and to provide funds when necessary to support economic development opportunities," the mayor wrote in a letter to council.

Tom Kroma, the mayor's assistant chief of staff, said the $5.3 million cost-savings figure represented hiring 33 officers and 40 firefighters and beginning the class this year.

Yesterday, the police and fire chiefs said it would cost $1.38 million to hire 20 police officers and $600,000 more than the projected overtime costs in 2009 to hire 40 firefighters.

Fire Chief Mike Wolever said overtime costs next year will be $4.1 million if a class is not hired. If one is hired, the salaries and overtime costs combined would cost $4.7 million.

Chief Wolever said 10 of the 40 new recruits are trained firefighters and would be on the streets within three weeks of being hired. The department's high overtime costs are blamed on its 103 minimum staffing requirement.

Chief Mike Navarre said not hiring a police class would have little impact on his overtime costs because the police department has no minimum staffing requirement.

Mr. Finkbeiner still has to balance the 2008 general fund budget by cutting $10 million.

A proposed three-day layoff this year of nonessential city employees would save $1 million, of which $300,000 would go to the general fund.

Mr. Sherburne said the city has identified $6.5 million in capital-improvement projects that may be delayed or canceled to help close that deficit. The city has $6.4 million in its rainy-day fund, $2 million of which the mayor wants to use to balance the $21 million '09 budget shortfall.

Mr. Sherburne indicated that council may have to use some of those reserves for the '08 budget as well.

Contact Laren Weber at:
lweber@theblade.com
or 419-724-6050.

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