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City prepares for possible employee cuts to fight budget woes; Fire Department fights for its life
by Denise Schoppe
Staff Writer
The Marlin Democrat
June 15, 2005
As many as 20 city of Marlin employees may be facing job elimination in the immediate future in an effort by the city to battle a $377,879 shortfall in the current budget.
"We are starting the unpleasant task of bringing our expenditures in line with our income," City Manager Randall Holly said. "We have to come up with $377,000 either through a reduction in expenditures or by an increase in revenue."
Holly presented the city council with three proposals for fighting the city's current deficit and has requested action be taken within the next two weeks due to the need for money as well as growing anxiety within the city.
In a memo presented to city council members, Holly pointed out two places where there is duplication in services being offered: through the fire department and police dispatch.
"Very few cities with 6,500 population have a paid fire department," Holly said. "The City of Marlin has a unique situation where there is a paid fire department and a volunteer fire department both housed within the city limits."
Due to this overlapping of services, the city's fire department is the service being given the most attention in the reorganization of the city. The memo shows that the 2004-2005 Fire Department budget is $452,901 with 13 positions: one chief, one assistant chief, two captains, six drivers and three firemen.
In general, Holly said, volunteer fire departments tend to be better equipped, however it can be difficult to get enough volunteers to effectively fight a fire during business hours. He also pointed out that the fire department has worked to get grants to help with the cost of equipment and materials.
In the three proposals presented to the council, the first proposal splits the department in half, eliminating all positions except the six drivers.
Marlin Fire Department works under the State's 2 in - 2 out rule which requires a minimum of a two-person entry team and a minimum of a two-person rescue team on standby outside the structure. Unless the department is at full staff, the standard can not be met.
"We are already at the minimum number of fire fighters to be able to enter a structure," Holly said. "Reducing the number of firemen by only one position effectively eliminates the Fire Department."
Fire Chief Tony Holescher also said that instead of cutting the fire department down in size, in his opinion they might as well cut it completely because they won't be able to do their jobs.
"At the best you will have two drivers [on duty]," Holescher said. "There is a house on fire; they will respond to it and they will probably get there in about two and a half to three minutes. They will have to sit there and wait until volunteer firemen get there."
Holescher said that there are 2,826 households in Marlin and approximately 200 businesses. He pointed out that eliminating the department will affect insurance rates for everyone within the city, as well as put people's lives and property at risk.
"Will people die and property be lost? Yes they will; I can tell you they will," Holescher said.
He pointed out that the department has been moving in a positive direction, citing the future acquisition of a new engine thanks to a USDA Rural Development grant.
The second proposal presented to the council completely eliminates the fire department, while the third leaves it fully in tact.
The police department is also in danger of losing personnel in the reorganization of the city.
In the memo presented to the city council, Holly pointed out that the police dispatch and 911 dispatch could be combined to eliminate one dispatcher.
"It is my understanding that this has been attempted in the past," Holly said, "but it failed do to lack of trust and lack of funding."
Holly said a way to avoid this lack of trust was to build an independent board that governs 911 dispatch. Then dispatch would report to the board instead of any governmental entity. However, he warned that it could end up bringing about the need for a supervisor to be added to the payroll, which would go against their attempts at saving money.
Nonetheless, Holly recommended a hard look at the 911 dispatch, but he said he couldn't recommend mandating the combination of dispatch at this time due to lack of trust between the police department and sheriff's office, as well as it possibly hindering negotiating capabilities with the county.
Police officer positions are also at risk. In proposal one, three police officer positions, plus one dispatcher, are eliminated to help have money. This would bring the department personnel down from 25 to 21. In both proposal two and three, the department is cut down to 16 officers.
Police Chief Kerry Blakemore said that the department could handle proposal one, but warned that it would effect how quickly the department could respond to calls.
"There's going to be some times where there's going to be some lag in response times," Blakemore said. "Summer time is very busy for us, so we'll definitely have some lag time in response calls."
He said they would be willing to work with proposal one, but that anything else would be difficult.
Other departments looking at cuts include the elimination of both the parks and recreation department as well as the cemetery department. To offset losing those services, the city would contract out mowing and internment services, which would cost the city approximately $100,000.
Included in the figures for coming years is a bonus program and raises for employees that remain after the reorganization. However, the bonus program is at least two years in the future.
The City Council also discussed the hiring of Byron Sinclair as Director of Public Works for the city.
Holly presented Sinclair to the council as his recommendation for the position that would work alongside Holly in seeing to it that projects that improve the city are completed quickly and efficiently. Sinclair has over 29 years experience that includes work for the City of Temple and the City of Glen Rose. He said he likes a challenge and wants to be part of Marlin's turn-around.
The council tabled hiring Sinclair until more research can be done into his background and experience.
The second half of covering the city's debts is an increase in revenue.
Briefly discussed at the meeting was a $5.10 fee increase to pay $179,647 in Water and Sewer Debt Service by July 1, 2006. However, any decision and further discussion on the fee increase was held until the next meeting.
Holly said that all of the proposals set before the council are not final decisions, and that any other ideas to better handle the city's reorganization is welcomed. The Marlin City Council will meet for a special workshop to discuss the reorganization of the city on Thursday, June 16 at 5:30 pm. The public is invited to attend.
In other action, the council approved waiving the $7 garage sale permit fee and six month restriction for Marlin's First Annual City Wide Garage Sale being held August 6 and sponsored by Marlin's Main Street Program.
by Denise Schoppe
Staff Writer
The Marlin Democrat
June 15, 2005
As many as 20 city of Marlin employees may be facing job elimination in the immediate future in an effort by the city to battle a $377,879 shortfall in the current budget.
"We are starting the unpleasant task of bringing our expenditures in line with our income," City Manager Randall Holly said. "We have to come up with $377,000 either through a reduction in expenditures or by an increase in revenue."
Holly presented the city council with three proposals for fighting the city's current deficit and has requested action be taken within the next two weeks due to the need for money as well as growing anxiety within the city.
In a memo presented to city council members, Holly pointed out two places where there is duplication in services being offered: through the fire department and police dispatch.
"Very few cities with 6,500 population have a paid fire department," Holly said. "The City of Marlin has a unique situation where there is a paid fire department and a volunteer fire department both housed within the city limits."
Due to this overlapping of services, the city's fire department is the service being given the most attention in the reorganization of the city. The memo shows that the 2004-2005 Fire Department budget is $452,901 with 13 positions: one chief, one assistant chief, two captains, six drivers and three firemen.
In general, Holly said, volunteer fire departments tend to be better equipped, however it can be difficult to get enough volunteers to effectively fight a fire during business hours. He also pointed out that the fire department has worked to get grants to help with the cost of equipment and materials.
In the three proposals presented to the council, the first proposal splits the department in half, eliminating all positions except the six drivers.
Marlin Fire Department works under the State's 2 in - 2 out rule which requires a minimum of a two-person entry team and a minimum of a two-person rescue team on standby outside the structure. Unless the department is at full staff, the standard can not be met.
"We are already at the minimum number of fire fighters to be able to enter a structure," Holly said. "Reducing the number of firemen by only one position effectively eliminates the Fire Department."
Fire Chief Tony Holescher also said that instead of cutting the fire department down in size, in his opinion they might as well cut it completely because they won't be able to do their jobs.
"At the best you will have two drivers [on duty]," Holescher said. "There is a house on fire; they will respond to it and they will probably get there in about two and a half to three minutes. They will have to sit there and wait until volunteer firemen get there."
Holescher said that there are 2,826 households in Marlin and approximately 200 businesses. He pointed out that eliminating the department will affect insurance rates for everyone within the city, as well as put people's lives and property at risk.
"Will people die and property be lost? Yes they will; I can tell you they will," Holescher said.
He pointed out that the department has been moving in a positive direction, citing the future acquisition of a new engine thanks to a USDA Rural Development grant.
The second proposal presented to the council completely eliminates the fire department, while the third leaves it fully in tact.
The police department is also in danger of losing personnel in the reorganization of the city.
In the memo presented to the city council, Holly pointed out that the police dispatch and 911 dispatch could be combined to eliminate one dispatcher.
"It is my understanding that this has been attempted in the past," Holly said, "but it failed do to lack of trust and lack of funding."
Holly said a way to avoid this lack of trust was to build an independent board that governs 911 dispatch. Then dispatch would report to the board instead of any governmental entity. However, he warned that it could end up bringing about the need for a supervisor to be added to the payroll, which would go against their attempts at saving money.
Nonetheless, Holly recommended a hard look at the 911 dispatch, but he said he couldn't recommend mandating the combination of dispatch at this time due to lack of trust between the police department and sheriff's office, as well as it possibly hindering negotiating capabilities with the county.
Police officer positions are also at risk. In proposal one, three police officer positions, plus one dispatcher, are eliminated to help have money. This would bring the department personnel down from 25 to 21. In both proposal two and three, the department is cut down to 16 officers.
Police Chief Kerry Blakemore said that the department could handle proposal one, but warned that it would effect how quickly the department could respond to calls.
"There's going to be some times where there's going to be some lag in response times," Blakemore said. "Summer time is very busy for us, so we'll definitely have some lag time in response calls."
He said they would be willing to work with proposal one, but that anything else would be difficult.
Other departments looking at cuts include the elimination of both the parks and recreation department as well as the cemetery department. To offset losing those services, the city would contract out mowing and internment services, which would cost the city approximately $100,000.
Included in the figures for coming years is a bonus program and raises for employees that remain after the reorganization. However, the bonus program is at least two years in the future.
The City Council also discussed the hiring of Byron Sinclair as Director of Public Works for the city.
Holly presented Sinclair to the council as his recommendation for the position that would work alongside Holly in seeing to it that projects that improve the city are completed quickly and efficiently. Sinclair has over 29 years experience that includes work for the City of Temple and the City of Glen Rose. He said he likes a challenge and wants to be part of Marlin's turn-around.
The council tabled hiring Sinclair until more research can be done into his background and experience.
The second half of covering the city's debts is an increase in revenue.
Briefly discussed at the meeting was a $5.10 fee increase to pay $179,647 in Water and Sewer Debt Service by July 1, 2006. However, any decision and further discussion on the fee increase was held until the next meeting.
Holly said that all of the proposals set before the council are not final decisions, and that any other ideas to better handle the city's reorganization is welcomed. The Marlin City Council will meet for a special workshop to discuss the reorganization of the city on Thursday, June 16 at 5:30 pm. The public is invited to attend.
In other action, the council approved waiving the $7 garage sale permit fee and six month restriction for Marlin's First Annual City Wide Garage Sale being held August 6 and sponsored by Marlin's Main Street Program.
