ORANGE : Council Holds Back on Proposed Job Cuts

For up to 80 city workers whose jobs could be lost as the city tries to close a $10.7-million budget gap, last week’s City Council meeting was supposed to be the moment of truth.

The meeting marked the council’s first opportunity to vote on a plan that would eliminate positions in departments from planning to police. But in the end, the employees got a temporary reprieve.

Though the council did give preliminary approval to the plan’s broad goals, several council members weren’t ready to approve massive cuts without more investigation.

Council members said they will spend the next few weeks trying to assess how the cuts will affect city services and whether certain job eliminations are in the city’s long-term interests.

Such an analysis might result in fewer position cuts than originally thought. But even employee union leaders acknowledged that some layoffs will almost surely occur.

“A lot of people have just accepted the fact that the city is broke,” said Chris Carnes, president of the city’s professional, clerical and technical union. “They understand that the economy is bad and revenues have plummeted. No one blames the council.”

Carnes and police union officials praised the council for taking a second look at the cuts.

Carnes complained that in some departments, a disproportionate number of non-management positions are now slated for elimination.

At the Police Department, officials fear the cuts will increase emergency response times and compromise the level of protection in the city.

“It could just cripple us,” said Detective Jim Carson, vice president of the Orange Police Assn.

Police staffing has declined by 17 positions since 1990, and if the cuts are approved, another 16 positions could be eliminated. Such a move would bring the number of Police Department positions to 190, down from 223 in 1990.

Several council members expressed concern about making cuts that would compromise law enforcement or fire protection services. Assessing how the cuts will affect emergency services is sure to be among the council’s top priorities.

Another is trying to determine whether the cuts will delay maintenance work on critical infrastructure projects that if not completed could cost the city more money down the road.

“The council wants to be sure it understands what positions are going and what that means. We want to know the rationale for the cuts,” said Councilwoman Joanne Coontz. “We want to know how this will affect services and what kind of restructuring will have to take place to fill the holes.”

The council also wants more information on new revenue sources, including the possibility of creating a 2% utility users tax. Such a tax was suggested earlier this year by a blue-ribbon commission that examined the city budget.