Grosse Pointe Shores Council Holds Public Hearing on Budget

The council heard one comment Tuesday from a resident during public comment regarding the 2011-2012 proposed budget.  

City Manager Brian Vick gave an overview of the budget and outlined the cuts and changes made during the last two years. The largest portion of the budget covers personnel costs, he explained. 

Payroll cuts have been made throughout the departments for nonunion employees, Vick said, noting the reduction varies from department to department but cumulatively they add to about 12.3 percent. Approximately 75 percent of the staff is union and negotiations are ongoing to determine appropriate changes to their compensation, Vick said. 

The amount of lost revenue due to dropping home values has exceeded $1 million from 2008 through 2011, according to a spreadsheet Vick prepared and showed the audience. 

Among other changes are the consolidation of the city manager/city clerk position; reducing the parks and recreation director from full time to part time; eliminating overtime for department heads; reduced gate guard service; completing leaf hauling in-house; and scaling back holiday decorations. 

Vick also noted that he is constantly in talks regarding consolidation efforts with nearby cities, even naming St. Clair Shores, and noting the recent approval of the shared dispatch/lockup agreement with Grosse Pointe Farms.

Lake Shore Road resident John Booth spoke to the council about the budget following Vick's presentation. Booth questioned figures shared during the meeting that show the Shores will end the current fiscal year in the black.

He said the figures appeared to have been based on many assumptions and questioned how Vick determined the amount of money the city would take in through higher fees being implemented during the last six weeks of the year.

Booth also questioned costs related to the court, saying he would have hoped for more changes in that area since it's been stagnant for years. He also later questioned whether the council was considering a millage increase. 

Mayor James Cooper followed up Booth's comments with a suggestion to hold a town hall style meeting before the council's June 7 committee of the whole meeting to allow residents to ask questions about the budget. 

Other council members agreed after asking Cooper questions about it. Vick also emphasized that the council has had several meetings to discuss the budget including Tuesday's public hearing. 

The 2011-2012 budget has a $354,133 shortfall.