ELGIN -- In another move to have a balanced budget for 2010, the city laid off 15 to 17 more full-time employees Monday.
Those released were members of Service Employees International Union Local 73. Per union contracts, particularly seniority clauses, the city was still ironing out the specific number and positions late Monday afternoon. SEIU represents public works, water department and certain technical and clerical employees.
The city also let go three part-time workers in the finance department and two part-time positions in the police records office. Some seasonal positions in public works -- less than a dozen -- won't be filled next year, City Manager Sean Stegall said.
He will present a preliminary draft of next year's budget at a special committee of the whole session Wednesday at 5 p.m. in City Hall. The proposal puts the total budget at close to $277 million, or about 6 percent less than the 2009 adjusted budget of $294 million.
The meeting should last about an hour and will give a "balcony view" of what's being proposed, Stegall said. "The view from the dance floor will happen at upcoming meetings," he added.
Monday's layoffs should save the city about $1.2 million, Stegall said. Those come on top of trimming another $1.2 million in salaries last month when Elgin let go 11 full-timers and one part-timer who were not union members.
According to Stegall, the city still is in negotiations with Elgin Association of Firefighters Local 439 about trimming $1.5 million from the fire department's budget.
The city also expects to generate about $1.5 million next year from what Stegall calls "administrative adjudication," which includes towing fees and code violation fines. The city also recently hiked the license fees it will charge for food vendors.
All told, those moves add up to $5.4 million of the $6 million Stegall has said must be found to make the 2010 budget a balanced document.
Another $600,000 in money or savings will come from a variety of measures, including a continued reduction in special events, such as further paring back the annual Fox Fire Fest, taking another look at the annual Wine Fest, and, as with 2009, not having a Fourth of July fireworks.
For now, Lords Park Zoo -- in one form or another -- remains in the picture, Stegall said.
What also eventually will impact the city's bottom line is another 10 to 20 employees who have until May 18, 2010, to decide if they will take buyout options on the table for them. Stegall said most if not all of those jobs would be filled, but likely at lower salaries.
Stegall also is talking to the Elgin Area Chamber of Commerce about other revenue- generating ideas. And he would like the council to consider charging lenders who take back foreclosed homes a registration fee, which would give the city a better handle on such properties.
The city plans to do more and continued partnerships next year to help curtail expenses. That includes Davey Tree managing the forestry department, the chamber and the Downtown Neighborhood Association managing certain economic development programs, and outside contractors conducting engineering inspections.
Veteran Councilman Dave Kaptain said the budget document was a good starting point and expects adjustments will be made to it. Kaptain hopes that personnel cuts don't leave Elgin staffed too close to the bone. Likewise, rookie councilman Rich Dunne said he wants to make sure having fewer workers doesn't have an adverse impact on providing core city services.