Mayor Emery Doughtie believes there is already $350,000 in cuts from the city's proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year without having to slice the plan further.
That money is made of the $250,000 the city will save by deferring a balloon payment on the theater and $50,000 in savings by switching providers Tuesday night for casualty insurance.
The third factor, the mayor said today, would require at least three council members to vote to give up their salaries for a year, which equals $56,000, thus giving the city $356,000 in cuts.
Originally scheduled to meet Tuesday at 6 p.m. to discuss the cuts proposed by Councilman Ernest Bobbitt this past Tuesday, council, because of scheduling conflicts, will instead meet Monday at 5:15 p.m. at the Lloyd Andrews City Meeting Hall to go over them.
Doughtie believes City Manager Paul Sabiston will most likely not budge from the financial plan he submitted to council for its approval.
Therefore, Doughtie, who does not have a vote, says it will be his suggestion to council the cuts are already there through the deferral and insurance savings.
That leaves getting at least three votes from council to defer their salaries for a year. “I don't think we can cut it without cutting back on capital expenses. The thing that bothers me is we would be having to neglect maintenance items and end up with real serious problems.”
With the financial shape the city is in, Doughtie says he has a problem with council continuing to take salaries. “Suetta (Scarbrough) is retired, Greg (Lawson) is retired, Ernest is retired. Carl's (Ferebee) got a good job and I have a good job. We could cut it or defer it for one year. I think if you talked to 10 people, more would want to see us give it up.”
Otherwise, with a lean capital budget, the mayor believes the only thing there would be to cut is personnel.
Meanwhile, Doughtie said he is going to continue pressing for a 1 cent sales tax referendum, the loss of that from consideration by the General Assembly being the reason Bobbitt asked for the cuts Tuesday night.
