The time to act is now!
Last month at the end of a council meeting during councilor requests, I had brought up the topic of a hiring freeze and a freeze of all overtime budgets at the town level. Not one other councilor joined me in the discussions and nothing more has been said about my proposal which i think is unfortunate. I did get some comments that said it was not a good request and how would that effect town services such as snow plowing etc.. ( no snow yet and lost opportunity to save some money).
My proposal would look at not eliminating any crucial services dealing with overtime but instead by making a complete review of where we are spending money and how to get a better "bang for the dollar".
by prioritizing jobs that are most needed and to put on a back burner, the non-essesial ones for another year.
I bring these issues up so next years budget becomes a little better to handle and to keep future disruptions in services to becoming larger issues and to minimize lay-offs that may need to be considered. I understand that some town employees may not like to hear about overtime freezes, however I'm positive that they will not like to hear that they may get a pink slip next year. I would hope that many can see the benifits of knowing they have a good job.
We must view the fact that what we do today will have effects 6 months from now. Sacrifice a little now to save a job later is what I beleive to be the best way to prepare. I'm sure some would dis-agree however from my own expeirences, find it to be proper planning.
I just read an article with our CFO Frank Childs telling the Union Leader that municipal budgets are tight and the fact that Derry has a tax cap, he believes that most likely "lay-offs" are coming. With that knowledge, would it not make sense to cut overtime now and also a hiring freeze?? It does to me!
Your thoughts?
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45 comments:
I just as soon see a layoff.
This will send a message to unions that the taxpayer is tired of being bullied by unions.
8:38,
Keep in mind that the union contracts are set up as such that the newer (less salaried) employee gets let you first. And so in some cases, more employees would have to be let go while the senior members stay. Less employees=less services get done.
Also, they have "bumping rights" which could mean people get shifted around to different positions, learning curves, more $$ for training.
Overtime freeze does more for the taxpayers.
I am not in favor of unions either.
I rather see people keep their jobs because they are 100% at it instead of "I have x years seniority".
Get rid of them.
I think some positions should be changed in type/title or category. For example, managers and a like are paid by salary. While other jobs are paid hourly. A simple change in either job type/title/category or function could remove overtime. It is simply a matter of redefinition which is common practice in politics.
I would also like to address the idea of laying people off in "difficult times." This is absolutely NOT the time to lay people off. Henry Ford (Model T) showed his economical brilliance by paying his workers higher than others. In doing so, he showed he was hiring customers.
In simple terms, if you lay people off, they can't afford to pay for their home. If they lose their home, the town loses revenue.
And I hear you when you say, your suggestions fall on deaf ears. ...
Nick Arancio
Oh, those last comments were made by me.
Nick Arancio
(in case I did not add my name)
BC,
For a town this size , there are too many town emoloyees.Thats why taxes are so high.
Along with a 30 percent cut for town employees ,no overtime,and no more hiring for ten years would be a good start.
And for cring out load ,get rid of these guys that have over 500 hrs. for vacation and sick time.
There is only 2080 hrs. in a year at 40hrs. Derry is giving employees 3 (three} months off with pay!!!!!!
Who in the hell is watching the cookie jar? THESE PEOPLE ARE LICKING THIER FINGERS ALL THE WAY TO THE BANK!!!!!!
I think the town should start witht the Recreation Department. Everyday there is a truck that circles Pinkerton around 2 for about 1/2 hr. There are 3 to 4 MEN in this NEW truck. HMMMMM I wonder what they are doing that is recreational?
Also I remember seeing a crew of 6 people shoveling off the tennis courts in February last year. Tennis season is over in when it snows, Why do we keep the snow off the courts all winter when we can't keep snow off the sidewalks and roads?
Do you think you got no response from any other Councilors because you threw this comment out of left field at the very end of the meeting?
Layoffs are inevitable. The town simply can not afford the number of employees we currently have when adding in the costs of salary and benefits. The town could have softened the blow if we instituted a hiring freeze a year ago. I’ll never understand why the Council continues to allow these department heads to continue to grow their overstaffed and bloated empires.
BC is right on one thing, when times call for cuts the department heads never cut their pet projects or the fat. They always go for the headline grabbing staff cuts. Then they’ll tell everyone who’ll listen that the town is dangerously low on staff. How about they reallocate positions and get their cushy positioned personnel out from behind the desk and back out in the field. When they do cut staff it’s never the dead wood because they have too much seniority.
The whole system is broken. No one to blame but the Council for not taking action long ago and not holding these department heads accountable
It seems a good course of action would be to ask all departments to recommend several different levels of cutbacks to plan for the most likely, the worst case and best case scenarios. I've always found that working through these drills is useful even if they don't require implementation. Tough choices require courageous leadership.
What about the schools? Could their be some cut backs, hiring freeze or even layoffs there, or do they operate under differant 'standards'? I'm tired of listening to people directing their frustrations at the town councilors each week. Why don't these same people go to your school board meetings and let your voices be heard there TOO?
Brian..there we go again trying to run the town like a business. Where does Mr Stenhouse fall on the hiring freeze issue, ohh "unoffcial". Funny how I never see resident Gary in town at the dump or running errands on the weekend. Start at the top and run this town like the business it is. At work now we are working on Fall plan for 1H09 spending. Cuts no matter where are on the block. I put backfills on hold in the private sector and guess what we saved money and probably escaped laying someone off. DERRY IS NO DIFFERENT unless we really do live in the lad of OZE or do as I say not as I do
Lay them all off, I got guns a hose and some books, I'll takecare of my on protection , fires , plowing and schooling of my kids.
Thanks
Good Point ANON 18/11/08 9:49 PM. i remeber the days when we did have a say and now the meetings are nothing more than a spending approval pageant. Remember art in the cart and schools not being built for years and leaky roofs and PORTABLES> . Pinkerton, a big part of the spending is cutting back how about cutting in the district and looking at enrollment. This group is not protected.
BC: I think that it would be wrong for the town to complain about cutting costs and then use town equipment/employees in the holiday parade. Parks and Rec, FD, and the PD are all usually involved. The parks and rec would be getting OT for their part and why take the FD and PD off the road when they are there for emergencies. I was at town hall and read something about an employee lunch coming up as well. I think that the employees would rather have a job instead of a free lunch so you can cut out too. Close Vets Hall at night so that the adults from other towns aren't cranking up the heat only to have the doors and windows open while they play basketball. Close one of the two libraries we have in town. We really don't NEED two. You might as well close the Taylor library and tell poor Brent that he will have to drive to the big library. Oh yeah, and lets just kill off the senior center thing right this minute. Even if money is donated for the building we will get stuck heating, staffing, etc...
6:06
you are blunt but acccurate.
I like it!
Sounds like Scrooge has 'arrived' in Derry a bit earlier this year!
11/20/2008...may I still wish you God speed..................
I'm just being honest! Let Santa walk instead of riding on the fire truck. Talk about a waste of fuel and resources. I bet that the town is going to want to use that ladder truck to deck the tree outside of the Opera House as well. I say that if we are going to cry poverty then we should start cutting back on the needless frills. Lets close the Taylor Library and Upper Village Hall and we can cut the heat back on both of them. Killer idea here, why not use the Taylor Library as the new senior center!!! I don't think that Unions are the problem, mismanagement is the problem. Happy Holidays everyone!!
All I see is comment on spending cuts. Where are the new revenue streams?
I don't have much hope for Derry, not without someone to lead the way in real thinking.
Nick,Nick,Nick,
The town employees that might lose their jobs I bet they dont live in this town, and they could give a rats behind about the tax rate because they dont live here.
Lets see if you or any town official will post on this blog where these fine public servants reside and pay real estate tax, all of them. Just list what they do for the TOWN OF DERRY and what town they live in. NO NAMES.
EXAMPLE : Public works official TOWN - AUBURN . You will be surprised SAINT NICK !!!!!!
I see the children's museum is going out of business.
The landlord told them even if they can come up with the $25,000 owed they still need to get out.
I remember a year ago they were $35,000 behind on the rent.
Some how they got the 35k and the most unusual part I thought at that time was, they did not fix the reason why they could not meet the rent.
I personally would not give them a dime until they had a viable plan.
The real sad part is, and I do not know who the landlord is but they are not business minded (dumb) to let them get that far behind and get behind a second time too!
Am I out of line in thinking that any Town funding of the parade is uncalled for? Should the Town advertise and take bids from local businesses and corporations? The highest bidder(s) get their name on a banner at the beginning and end of the parade line-up. "The 2008 Derry Holiday Parade is Brought To You By..."
Hey, its got to be better than spending taxpayer money for police details, diesel fuel, and rec. employees.
Nothing brings out the holiday spirit more than tossing more money out the window for a parade that a hundred people attend. Layoff as many employees as it takes as long as Santa rides on the fire truck at the end of the parade. What is the story with the employee lunch the town is throwing? Seems like you folks have a long way to go before you worry about an overtime freeze!
9:32
none of that should be paid by taxpayers.
Its a religious celebration and taxpayers have no obligation to pay.
I also do not believe in Santa so why do we pay for that?
What about the lights and other paraphernalia.
its a waste or taxpayers money when i see a fender bender in town and there are 4 cop cars and a host of fire trucks
What a bunch of petty, small minded @&X^%$# complainers!! Do you really think not having a Holiday parade and not using a Fire Truck is going to help one iota with the Town’s fiscal problem?
Anon 9:37 – Do you think when someone calls 911 to report a car accident they say it’s only a fender bender? NO – It gets called in as an accident! No one knows what the situation is until the emergency crews arrive as assess the situation. You can be suffering a life threatening medical condition, be involved in a “fender bender” and still need all the people who respond.
Why don’t you all STOP COMPLAINING about ridiculous non-issues and offer up valid ways to being in revenue into the Town? I never hear anybody offer up solutions, just complaints!
GET A LIFE.
It might look like the PD and FD over do it a little. If you think 2 cars for traffic and one to handle the accident and the supervisor that is 4 cars right there. The FD has the fire truck and ambulance for injuries/vehicle issues. It might not be as out of whack as one would think. I would assume that both departments respond with the worst case situation in mind. From what I've seen in other towns, it doesn't seem like our people are doing anything extreme. I agree with the other post that the taxpayer shouldn't get stuck with the bill for any parade. Some stuff should be left for better times and this isn't one of those times. I remember seeing the PD, FD, Plows, and the Rec Dept's in a parade I went to years ago. It's a waste. I'm waiting to see how the town hangs lights from the tree outside the Opera House as well!!
Of course the FD is going to send an ambulance to a fender bender, it’s an automatic revenue maker. The town just upped the price for ambulance calls , remember? Something like $1000 a trip now. Maybe the town could bill Santa for the ride like they do all us taxpayers.
Boy. What kind of Christmas/Holiday memories do you complainers have from YOUR childhoods? I bet you can remember some pretty great parades, Christmas lights, and fireworks on the 4th. So why do you want to take all that away from your OWN kids? If you look at the world today from just 40 years ago, things have really changed. God forbid if a kid can celebrate their birthday in their classroom with cupcakes!And don't get me started on a morning pray or doing the Pledge of Allegiance each and every morning! It's ridiculous...so get a grip of yourselves and PLEASE let's not loose what community/holiday spirit we do have in OUR town and appreciate what is being done!
Some of you people are unbelievable. I am at a loss for words, complaining about the Holiday parade. Complaining about sending rescue personel and police to the scene of an accident. You complain about the service we have, yet if you had your way, you would eventually complain about the service you didn't have!
9:37
Yes times have changed.
Its not PC to do those things anymore.
Can't do away with the prayer and pledge and still have the Xmas stuff.
Its not consistent.
I agree. no firetrucks in the parade.....according to their website , they are closing staions due to staffing issues...maybe we should leav the trucks they have staff for in the stations .!
Lets not be stupid here, we're talking about laying off people and we're going to go out and waste money that we could be saving over a parade. If the post about the closed fire station is true, the Fire Chief should be fired right now. Brian can you get to the bottom of this please?
Its the first I have heard about it. I will have to research the issue.
10:17am
This is the downside of blogging. One person says something and it is taken as actual truth and information! what good is just throwing out untruths. I'm bigging to think that the new term 'blogging' is just today's term for 'gossiping'....
BC, your taking the position you have in this post is perhaps the single most hypocritical stance I have seen out of the current council.
Correct me if I am wrong, but were you not one of the votes in favor of the recent fire union money grab?
Don't get me wrong, to your credit at least you are willing to take the hits on your blog. But Metts, Benson Weatherbee and Carney deserve a public flogging for approving this increase.
DFD will hang their heads in shame for advocating for a raise at this time. Remember this guy's when the public reacts to you as something other than the public servant hero's your predecessors truly were.
9:27,
If you are a regular reader of my blog, then you will know why i voted for the contract. I have no regrets in doing so. Also remember that in that contract the first year is 0% increase.
Now, talk about be hypocritical. Some councilors are calling for a stop in unnecessary spending yet approved bike path at 225K, manning st ext at 125K, spending 500K of tax payers money on engineering work and then not wanting to continue supporting the TIFF. Where is your comments for them?????
On that TIFF thing the $500k was a waste from the beginning. Stopping it stopped the bleeding caused by a dumb decision.
To go any further with it would have been worse.
Let any store that wants to open on 28 pay their own road improvements or stay away.
Anon 9:27...
I seriously doubt any member of the DFD will hang their heads in shame. They took a 0% increase on the first year of their contract and agreed to a 2-2.5% COLA increase for the remainder of their contract. Everything else pretty much stayed the same. When you figure in the cost of health care increase over the life of the contract it's next to nothing. Certainly not something they will be hanging their heads in shame over.
I'm sure you would be more than happy in your current job if you took next to a 0% increase over the next 3 years. Why don't you give it a try?
"DFD will hang their heads in shame for advocating for a raise at this time. Remember this guy's when the public reacts to you as something other than the public servant hero's your predecessors truly were."
Call them what you may, but they will still be there when you call. 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year with the same professionalism their "Predecessors" answered with when they were called upon.... even when "They" were called soemthing less by people like you.
anonymous 3:27
We the taxpayers are accesing the situation now, and we see lots of TOWN waste.
When you see two people in the road on the side of an accident exchanging insurance papers quietly and then 5 minutes later fire trucks on two wheels coming down hill into the rotary at high rate of speed forcing cars to slam on brakes before they get killed , is a total waste of taxpayer money not to mention loss of life for people driving within the law.
Dispatch should have asked if everyone is ok, sent a police officer and a tow truck , not a host of fire trucks.
This kind of waste should be eliminated period, there would not be a need for new revenue streams to stop lay-offs. Derry has way too much revenue and lets depts. waste it such as yours.
The police have much more tranning to access any situation.Let them do there job, and call a tow truck.
The firefighters own blog states the Island Pond Station was shut down on 11/17 for 4 hours with no coverage. How does this happen? Are you telling me they were unable to reassign personnel to cover this station and keep it staffed? I guess that overtime freeze is already costing us protection. remember, whenever the town departments need to make cuts, they never cut the fat first. They all want the public to be outraged and demand the staff be restored. Thus really should be examined before someone loses their life to fiscal politics. Hold the department heads responsible.
why isnt the town leaders trying to get some kind of business next to the movie theater. All this land sitting
Back in October this was your response to a posting regarding to Ms Thompson...
BC said...
At the end of the day we do need to look at the results of our dept heads. We do need to hold people accountable especially in tight times...
26/10/08 1:17 PM
Once again you are right on. At the last council meeting I was pleased to see that her position and lack of progress that department has made since her arrival had been noted. Sure economic times are hard 'now' but don't fall for all that. Not adding another high paid position would have 'helped' the taxpayer last Dec (when she was hired). We've spent $$ on her salary, and what $$ have we received back?When talking about cutting back services..I'd rather see some frugul thinking like not keeping her on the payroll, but still plow our roads during the winter, keeping programs in our Rec. Dept.Ithank the councilors for FINALLY seeing the light in that department. Also I've noticed we have not replaced the Director of Public Health. The world hasn't come to an end in Derry. How much have we saved from that? Thank you Brian for looking out for our taxes!You take some hard hits at time, but you are appreciated. Something councilors don't hear enough.......
9:20
we don't need any additional traffic, population or resource drains.
If you need to see all the land used up, I suggest Boston would be the place to live.
7:43
I agree, the biggest bang for the buck is to eliminate those high paying, non productive positions.
We can always hire a part timer to do most of those jobs and with no benefits too boot!
A tremendous amount of fat in all the depts, both locally, statewide and federal. The pay they receive is way above what those jobs pay in the real world. There are not many jobs with no accountabliity for more than $10 per hour except in "civil servant" positions
Three cheers to Kevin for stepping up to the plate and acknowledging the lack of results seen from the Economic Develop depart. $100,000 paid by the taxpayers!You could of used that for the Bike Path, or the paving done to Courthouse Lane..at least we would see something for our dollars.
When financial times are bad, don't always look at the bottom and ways to cut...all the cream (big $$$'s) are at the top!
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