"This global recession has impacted all local governments," said Mayor Don Plusquellic. "All around us cities are cutting expenses, limiting public services, reducing wages, imposing furloughs, and employing other cost- reductions to try to stay afloat."

In Akron in 2009, the city has tried to deliver the same level of services while eliminating overtime, reducing the size of the city workforce through a retirement buyout program and elimination of some positions, obtaining pay reductions from some unions through the use of furloughs and reduced holiday pay, and other cost savings measures.

Akron firefighters - the only bargaining group to reject any cost-cutting measures - have 38 members on layoff.

"I appreciate the sacrifices made by most of our Akron city workers and their bargaining groups," said the Mayor. "It has been Akron’s most difficult year since the early 1980's, and the first time we have had to layoff employees due to the economy. Unfortunately, we are not out of the woods yet."

Plusquellic today announced that he is sending legislation to City Council Monday that will maintain the wages of the mayor and his cabinet, all managers, and all non-bargaining employees at their present levels through 2010, with no pay raises in the next year.

In 2009, the Mayor eliminated five positions in his Cabinet, reducing the number from 17 to 12, 4 of whom are mandated by the Charter - a cut of 30%. Additionally, the Mayor has not replaced two other key employees in his office - an executive secretary and a scheduler.

"The Cabinet was the first group in the city to voluntarily rollback their 2009 pay raises," said the Mayor, who halted his own scheduled pay raise in December of 2008. " And the city’s top administrators were the first to take additional reductions in pay through voluntary furloughs."

The City instituted a Mandatory Furlough Program for managers and non-bargaining employees this Fall, and with approval of the Civil Service Personnel Association, the number of paid hours for many employees between October 3 and November 27 went from 40 hours to 38 hours. The savings resulting from this reduction and other cost-cutting agreements allowed the city to forego layoffs of some employees that had been announced September 14.

The Mayor imposed an additional six hours of furlough in December on all managers and members of his cabinet.

The Mayor is asking city bargaining units to again agree to furloughs in 2010 by closing city buildings at 2:30pm on Fridays.

The Mayor noted that the Public Service Department has 77 fewer employees than it did a year ago, while staffing levels have remained steady in safety forces (except for the fire layoffs and re-assignment of 18 police officers to the Akron Public Schools to save those jobs.)

"Our goal has been to maintain consistent levels of staffing in the police and fire divisions," said the Mayor, "while in our service departments, we have shrunk labor and managers from1,500 employees to 660 full time and 205 part time employees, a 42% reduction in personnel. What is remarkable, I believe, is that we are still providing a high service level in spite of the cuts."

For example, in 2009, the city cut back its leaf pickup from two pickups to one but actually collected more leaves than in 2008.

The Mayor also announced today that a number of restrictions imposed in 2009 to save money will continue, including limiting travel to only necessary trips.

Services that effect the least number of citizens have been eliminated or reduced, including life guards at the Balch Street swimming pool; cancellation of some ceramics, glassworks, cooking, sewing and other specialty classes at community centers; and reducing the supervision at each community center to the minimum needed to keep the centers open. Outside groups who use Community Centers for meetings will have access to the buildings, but Sunday closings have required some re-scheduling to different days or different public buildings. 

The city is in negotiations currently with its bargaining groups, and is expected to ask for their approval to eliminate the City Picnic Day as a 14^th paid holiday in 2010, just as all employees but police and fire did in 2009.

The Mayor noted that he wants to continue the many free summer events that residents enjoy. "It’s important in times like this when many family budgets are shrinking, that we maintain some quality of life programs that give our families real enjoyment."