The Associated Press
RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. (AP) - Fire and police jobs may be cut in Russellville as city leaders search to shrink the budget after voters rejected a property-tax increase.
“You’re looking at an almost 10 percent staff reduction, and that’s a major reduction,” Police Chief James Bacon said Wednesday.
Mayor Raye Turner has submitted an $8.4 million budget that shaves $110,000 in personnel spending and $20,000 in maintenance and operations for next year. The proposal cuts five jobs in the fire department and five in the police department.
City law state that the mayor has to reserve 5 percent of the city’s budget in an emergency fund. Alderman Cliff Kirchner said the council plans to discuss if that law can be changed to budget 100 percent of the money and avoid the job cuts.
“If it’s going to severely hamper our emergency services, then I would look at foregoing the 95 percent ordinance until things improve,” he said.
The 100 percent budget would mean two laid-off firefighters instead of five, chief Dennis Miller said. There are 55 firefighters total.
“According to the national standard, were already undermanned,” Miller said. “If you don’t have the personnel to man the hoses, you can’t put the fire out.”
Bacon clarified that the five lost police positions wouldn’t mean any jobs losses because the department already has eight vacancies, two officers temporarily in the military and three others on extended sick leave.
“We have some shifts that are really worked by skeleton crews,” Bacon said. “It becomes a safety issue for the officers.”
Russellville residents voted 471 for the tax and 1,453 against it.