Amador County – Ione City Council held a special meeting Wednesday to discuss a newly discovered deficit of nearly $700,000, meaning it will need drastic cuts to operation and salary costs.
City employees presented options for cuts in their departments, including Ione Police Chief Michael L. Johnson offering options to sell the city’s police dog, and personnel cuts totaling $260,000 of his total $853,000 budget. Johnson said “this does not mean we’re begging you to implement all of these.” He said he would “absolutely take a pay cut of $5,000 to $10,000” off the top, to serve as a leading example, and so the city could realize the savings immediately.
His suggestions included selling the police dog for a one-time boost of $10,000 to $15,000, the dog’s general value. He said a part time property clerk, and full time records clerk position could be cut, along with an officer. City Manager Jeff Butzlaff said the police cuts, including those offered by the Ione Police Officers Association president, totaled about a 40 percent cut.
Johnson said the goal is to have coverage around the clock, 365 days a year, and “we will still strive to maintain that for the city.” He said “we are a prison city,” part of the population is “unsavory” and “people hunt here for victims.”
The IPOA president, representing four officers and a sergeant, offered another $70,000 in concessions. Johnson said he could not make any offers of options that affect the union.
City Building Inspector Don Mishrall, representing city staff in the Service Employees International Union, said those six employees offered to furlough out one day each pay period, starting Thursday, Oct. 13. He said: “I personally will furlough out two days a week.”
He said building inspecting, like police, “is a life safety issue: Houses fall, people die; houses burn, people die.” He said he would furlough, but work as many hours as he has to. Mishrall said JTS Communities “is building 50 homes right now and I will keep inspecting homes.” He said “it’s not an option. Bang the gavel and I will start tomorrow.” The savings SEIU offered was $71,000.
Butzlaff said the city auditor found the General Fund, thought to have $2 million, was actually has about $1.3 million. He said “this is a stunning revelation.” Auditor Larry Baine said not too many accountants could see the true cash amount in the city’s accounting software, installed on Kerr’s recommendation. He said “it has about 40 or 50 accounts you have to add up to come up with the cash in the General Fund.”
Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
