City Council Meeting Wrap-Up

2010-11 budget

The City Council on Tuesday introduced a proposed $809-million city budget for the next fiscal year, including the $173.1-million General Fund, which covers the city’s day-to-day operations.

The proposed budget relies on $3 million in employee salary and benefit concessions to help balance a projected $8.1-million budget gap, even though deals have yet to be struck with the city’s four employee unions. Negotiations remain ongoing.

In addition to employee concessions, city officials have proposed diverting sales tax revenue away from capital improvement projects and into the General Fund, among other funding swaps, and about $1 million in departmental reductions in maintenance and operational costs.

Proposed service levels remain at the same level as last year’s budget.

WHAT IT MEANS

The City Council will vote on the budget next week as the city is legally required to adopt a balanced budget by July 1, but City Manager Jim Starbird has said the figures could change after the deadline.

Health-care costs

The City Council approved spending $1.2 million to cover the cost of rising employee health-care costs, even as city officials negotiate with employee unions to pick up a larger share.

Under their current contracts, members of the largest employee union, the Glendale City Employees’ Assn., and the Glendale Firefighters’ Assn. will pay for 50% of the increased costs. Members of the Glendale Police Officers Assn. will pay 25% of the adjustment, and members of the Glendale Management Assn. will pay 10%. City executives, who serve at will, will also pay 10%.

WHAT IT MEANS

City officials are negotiating with the city’s four employee groups to pick up a larger share of the costs.

Changing the funding percentage with the police or fire unions would require amending their contracts, which extend through June 2011 and 2012, respectively. City officials must reach new agreements with the other two unions, since their contracts expire June 30.