Friday, November 21, 2008

Abramson Takes Pay Cut


The following is a letter sent to Metro employees today from Mayor Abramson:

Dear Metro Employees:

Earlier this week, I updated you on the unprecedented budget shortfall Metro Government is facing, and the restrictions we put immediately into place on hiring, travel and other discretionary spending.

I want to give you advanced notice of additional steps we are taking today to help manage the projected $20 million hole in our budget.

On three designated days, we will close government offices and place all non-essential employees on unpaid furlough. This will save about $2 million – or 10 percent of the projected shortfall.

City offices will be closed on December 26, the Friday after the Christmas holiday; January 2, the Friday after the New Year’s Day holiday; and May 1, Oaks Day. City offices are closed on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day, which are paid city holidays for employees.

Public safety agencies – including essential personnel in police, fire, EMS, corrections and MetroSafe – and garbage collection crews will be staffed. All other departments will be closed.

We believe these three designated layoff days are ones that will have the least impact on both employees and citizens.

Many employees who have sent me cost-saving suggestions have recommended unpaid furloughs as a way to spread the sacrifice across city government. The $2 million savings leaves about $18 million in spending reductions needed to balance our budget.

As I said earlier this week, to achieve the cuts in spending that we must make will require a united effort and shared sacrifice across all our government agencies.

In that spirit, I and my leadership team – including senior advisors and department directors – will take a 10-percent pay cut effective Jan. 1, 2009 in addition to the three furlough days. This will save about $200,000.

Below you will find additional information, designed to answer questions you may have about these three layoff days.

By continuing to work together, we will get through these tough times. If you have additional suggestions on steps we could take to reduce spending, please contact me at jerry.abramson@louisvilleky.gov

Thank you more than ever for your very hard work and dedication.

Mayor Abramson


I think to really save the city some money, the option to eliminate the city's "deputy" mayors should be on the table. What do you think?

The Courier-Journal has a story up HERE.

2 comments:

  1. I would like to know when the other two deputy mayors are going to step down. You're telling me that Louisville needs two deputy mayors of which there used to be four deputy mayors. Now they have two making over 100 k as of the last salary printout by the CJ.

    Why does Louisville need two deputy mayors? To cover for Jerry when he leaves for his homecoming trips? You're telling me that the mayor can't handle the burden himself.

    Meanwhile jobs are being lost and every day more bad economic news. An economy in the dumps and heading downhill fast. But to listen to the Possibility Mayor one would think that everything is going to be fine, business as usual. Meanwhile trying to stick the firefighters for getting their pay. Turning police morale into nothing. Selling off the working helicopter while the trashed one is somewhere in the desert in Arizona allegedly getting repaired.

    So much for chasing down people in crimes and instead youll see more police chases on the ground and lack of police accountability when they blow a traffic light with no sirens, etc. A shameful debacle

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  2. Shameful, indeed. And don't forget the utilization of undercover Animal Service agents to conduct "pet busts". An extremely unnecessary and just plain weird idea.

    They can lay those jokers off, too.

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