Oceanside Council Protects Itself as It OKs Lean, Job-Cutting Budget

The Oceanside City Council Wednesday narrowly approved a paired-down $54.6-million operating budget which will cost 22 city workers their jobs while rejecting a move to cut council salaries in half.

The budget recommended by interim City Manager Jim Turner recommended cutting this year’s $58.3 million budget $3.7 million or 6.4% to keep it in line with shrinking tax revenues caused by the depressed economy.

But to do that, Turner said, employees will have to be laid off while some 50 more will face demotions or job transfers. For instance, three Fire Department captains face reduction to fire engineer status, with a resulting cut in pay.

Mayor Larry Bagley and Councilman Sam Williamson voted against the budget after the council majority of Melba Bishop, Don Rodee and Nancy York rejected a series cost-saving measures they proposed to save employees from layoffs or demotions.

Those included motions by Bagley and Williamson to cut council member salaries--approximately $23,000 per year--in half; cut council meetings now four days a month to two; get rid of the five personal legislative assistants who now work for council members and the mayor; eliminate $50,000 budgeted for a local drug program, and do away with a $30,000 contribution to the Oceanside Chamber of Commerce.

Leading the way, Williamson said his own personal assistant--who serves as a receptionist, secretary, and research assistant--would be laid off as of Friday.

All except the council salary reduction were part of a package proposed last week by Bagley which he said would save about $1 million per year, enough to avoid some of the layoffs and demotions.

Bagley on Wednesday said he feared the planned layoffs and demotions may cripple the administration of three key departments, including police, fire and public services.

York said cutting council salaries would discourage people from running for office because they might not be able to afford it.

She also said she believed the administrative assistants--known as legislative aides--were needed. It is important to have them present when a council member is absent from City Hall, she said, “to keep the public in touch with the council and the council in touch with the people.”

An obviously bitter Williamson commented that every city department is facing cuts. “Yet, we can’t give up something we’ve got. We’ve got to hold onto it because it is sacred.”

City employees overwhelmingly rejected a recent city survey asking them if they were willing to take a 7% salary cut to save others from layoffs or demotions.

Many pointed to the seeming unwillingness of the council to share in the hard times while long-time workers said overall morale has dropped to an all-time low.

Turner agreed that morale has taken a nose dive because of the pending budget cuts.

“It is terrible,” he said. “It is the worst I’ve ever seen it, and I’ve been here over 30 years. I really feel what they are going through.”

But worst news may be coming as Gov. Pete Wilson and the Legislature face off on how they to eliminate an $11 billion state budget deficit. Most proposals include taking tax revenue that now goes to the cities.

Turner said estimates of the loss of state money to Oceanside have ranged from $500,000 to as much as $6 million.

To make up a $6-million loss, employees might have to take a 12% to 15% pay cut. “We have to either cut jobs or . . . take some across-the-board cuts in pay to keep the organization functioning,” he said.