Council Approves 'Controversial' Cuts

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Columbus faces its tightest budget crunch in years and members voted unanimously to approve the controversial cuts that included permanent and temporary layoffs for some city workers.

NBC 4's Tom Brockman reported with the FAST FACTS.

Making up $13 million won't be easy, but it's a task officials said has to be done to balance the budget.

Columbus city council members made a final decision regarding the budget Monday.

RELATED: Read The 2009 City Budget

Public safety endured nearly half of the cuts, with pay raises for firefighters delayed and 27 police recruits laid off.

"We're very hopeful there will be some sort of agreement or something will happen that we can go back to work," Columbus police recruit Tim Myers said. "The bottom line is we made a commitment to the citizens of the city of Columbus, and we want to follow through with that."

One of Mayor Michael Coleman's suggestions was to implement a five-day temporary layoff for some 1,300 city employees and permanent layoffs for others.

That's only the tip of the iceberg, though, Brockman said.

Council and the mayor's office proposed cutting $750,000 from the Summer Strike Force, $800,000 from police fleet purchases and $280,000 from Experience Columbus.

City officials announced the Saturday closing of 13 recreation centers last Friday.

The centers could close permanently but at least will remain closed until the economy improves.

City leaders are hoping to partner with non-profit groups to re-open the doors of the centers that are shutting down.

The city auditor suggested increasing the income tax to raise revenue for the city last week.

Programs like the Community Crime Patrol also remain on the chopping block, NBC 4's Patrick Preston reported.

"Community Crime Patrol is the last program that should be cut," said Ellen More, Community Crime Patrol executive director. "It's an impossible task they have in front of them."

Moore said council members are keenly aware of the groups wanting to be spared from cuts and while the money may not be there this time, she's hoping her efforts pay dividends in the future.

"It may not get reinstated right now, but down the road when things change and get better, sure, they're going to remember all of these peoples' pleas for their programs and those things will get reinstated eventually, hopefully," Moore said.

Residents were given an opportunity to voice their opinions to Council last Thursday.

"One of the things that does concern us is the potential to lose the strike force. We’re also concerned about the loss of the 27 new recruits," Northland Community Council's Dave Paul said.

"The neighborhood centers offer home for the youngsters. They can spend their time there instead of on the streets dealing in drugs or being exposed to drugs," resident Karl Barlay said.

Rev. Melvin Steward of the Mount Vernon Avenue District Improvement Association attended a council session last week to save the police recruits from layoffs.

But, Steward said he wasn't just speaking to the council, adding that he was speaking to current police officers who can sacrifice pay to save the recruits.

"They are the ones also who should say, 'We will forgo that little increase to see that my brothers stay on, retain their jobs,'" Steward said.

While council approved the budget that does not include hiring the police recruits, that does not mean that the issue is over because negotiations continue.

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