Cut the council’s spending cards

EDITOR’S NOTEBOOK

Someone needs to explain the phrase “you need to spend money to make

money” to the people running this city, because they seem to take it

at face value. That old adage does not mean that if you spend money

with abandon, you will magically make millions.

Last week -- as city leaders announced the need to cut $11.5

million from the city’s $135-million budget and the plan to layoff 55

lower level employees, close two library branches and, at long last,

dump HBTV-3 (probably just to get the Independent off their backs) --

I couldn’t help thinking about the City Council’s decision to spend

$18,000 on an additional trash pick up Downtown and $45,000 on a

fence for the sports complex.

The council spends money faster than City Administrator Ray Silver

can close a library branch to make it back. We should revoke their

spending powers -- freeze their credit cards, so to speak.

The library closures proposal has been widely protested. No

surprise there. But it is just one area where deeps cuts have been

made. Every department is cutting back, and many of the cuts are

right where they should be -- supervisor positions, travel for

council members, the BEST program, outside legal council and HBTV-3.

All in all, it looks like many of the cuts were made in the right

places.

There are still areas that need to be looked at, however.

Before layoffs are made, how about revamping the cushy benefit and

retirement packages for all employees? If the 55 people had a choice

between having to pay into their benefits, which they will have to do

at any other job in the private sector, or keep their job ... I’m

guessing they’d pay in.

Silver tell me its too late for these folks, as negotiations take

a year or two, but they could ask for renegotiation at any time.

Since contracts are up for renegotiation in October and December,

take it as food for thought.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m all for offering employees great benefit

packages, but I never heard of any so exorbitant as Surf City’s.

There are other areas that should, and probably will be examined,

areas where cuts can still be made and money could be made. Heck, I

took tennis lessons in the city for $32 for nine weeks! I love that

all those city classes are so cheap, but there is money to be made

there.