TABLE OF CONTENTS
FOR CITY COUNCIL PACKET
JUNE 16, 2009
POLICY SESSION AGENDA
Packet Date: June 12, 2009
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CITY COUNCIL REPORT
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POLICY AGENDA
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TO:
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Alton J. Washington
Assistant City
Manager
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AGENDA DATE:
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June 16, 2009
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FROM:
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Jack F. Harris
Public Safety
Manager
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ITEM:
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3
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SUBJECT:
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“THE LAST 24” VIDEO CASTS
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This report provides
information to the City Council regarding the innovative use of internet technology
to enhance community relationships with daily information sharing by the Phoenix
Police Department (PPD).
BACKGROUND
Social media, such
as pod casting, Facebook, Twitter, etc., has changed
the mechanisms on how law enforcement leaders communicate with internal,
external, and political constituents. In
an effort to reach a greater audience with real-time information and in
partnership with the City’s Information Technology Department, the Public
Affairs Bureau (PAB) has focused on the
economy of scale the internet provides. The
development of “The Last 24” is one such strategy.
OTHER INFORMATION
Initially beta tested in February 2009, “The Last 24” is a video cast (v-cast)
that profiles significant police events that have occurred during the previous
24-hour period. It also provides an
avenue for the Police Department to supply accurate information free from
editing by media agencies. The short
segment is scripted, taped, and produced by the men and women of the PPD’s Public Affairs
Bureau. Beginning March 25, 2009, after input from
local and national media partners, “The Last 24” underwent several computer
graphic imaging changes to reach the current product and is accessed through
the Official Web Site of the City of Phoenix at http://www.cityofphoenix.org/POLICE/
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CONCLUSION
“The Last 24” is one accomplishment of several additional social
medias the PPD is researching.
This v-cast will continue to be used to
communicate crime trends, public safety awareness, and incidents as well as insightful
messages from Public Safety Manager/Police Chief Jack Harris. “The Last 24” is accomplished with existing department
resources.
This report is for information only.
No Council action is requested.
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CITY COUNCIL
REPORT
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POLICY AGENDA
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TO:
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Frank Fairbanks
City Manager
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AGENDA DATE:
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June 16, 2009
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FROM:
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Karen Peters
Government Relations Director
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ITEM:
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SUBJECT:
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STATE LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
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This report seeks
approval, guidance, and direction from the Mayor and Council on state
legislation of interest to the City.
June 16 is the 156th day of the First Regular
Session of the 49th Legislature. 1207
bills have been introduced to date.
STATE BUDGET UPDATE
After a two-day marathon by both legislative chambers, the
legislature approved a fiscal year (FY) 2010 budget on June 4. Unexpectedly, President Bob Burns (R – Peoria) and
Speaker Kirk Adams (R – Mesa) did
not immediately transmit the budget bills to Governor Brewer. Based on Governor Brewer’s statements last
week, most expected her to veto the approved, 10-bill budget package. The Governor has repeatedly stated that she
will oppose budget bills that contain policy measures; she also has indicated
that she would oppose a budget that does not include new revenues to address a
FY 2010 shortfall that her office now estimates at $4 billion. The latter is the source of the greatest
disagreement between the legislative and executive branches. In the budget proposal she released on June
1, a temporary one-percent sales tax increase would provide approximately $1
billion toward that shortfall. Governor
Brewer is adamant that any budget proposal transmitted to her needs to include
it.
The legislative budget package contains a Vehicle License
Tax hit to cities; the impact to Phoenix’s
General Fund would be $11.8 million. A
separate report is attached that details the most likely reductions in city
programs that would result from that loss of general fund revenue. Other, very problematic items include:
·
Property
tax assessment ratios for business property classifications are reduced to 10%
for general obligation (GO) bond purposes, significantly impacting the City’s
current and future bond programs;
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Cities
cannot impose or assess any impact fees for three years;
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Future
impact fees can only be assessed for water/wastewater, public safety, and streets
capital projects;
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Cities
cannot adopt/revise their building codes or increase their construction sales
tax rates for three years;
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Authority
and funding to proceed with expansion of the downtown Phoenix biomedical campus is eliminated; and
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Identification
is required that indicates lawful presence in the United States from any person
applying for local, state or federal public benefits, and the budget bills
create (1) a new misdemeanor for government personnel that fail to report
discovered violations of federal immigration law and (2) a private right of
action to enforce the new provisions.
The legislative budget stands in bright contrast to the
budget proposed earlier last week by Governor Brewer. Her budget, released on June 1, would cut
$948 million in spending, borrow $650 million, defer $104 million in AHCCCS
payments, and rely on more than $1 billion of federal stimulus dollars. Of greatest interest to the City is that her
measure also holds cities harmless from any revenue sharing reductions. Her measure also does not contain the
legislature’s property tax shift to homeowners, does not include impact fee or
building code moratoria, is devoid of any immigration-related policy measures,
includes funding for the University of Arizona’s Medical School in
Downtown Phoenix, and preserves the statutory cap in Highway User Revenue
Funds. The Council endorsed Governor
Brewer’s budget proposal at its Policy Session on June 2.
To highlight the differences between her proposal and the
legislative budget, on June 9 Governor Brewer held a daylong budget hearing of
her own, hearing concerns from cities, counties, public safety, social service
and educational institutions.
Councilwoman Maria Baier, along with the League of Arizona Cities and
Towns, shared the municipal perspective on how the legislative budget would
impair the ability of municipalities to provide key services.
Rumors are surfacing that a preliminary agreement may be
imminent, but it will be difficult to gather enough votes to cement any deal.
STATE LEGISLATION OF INTEREST
Information that is new from the last legislative update
report is indicated in bold.
PUBLIC SAFETY
Bills to Support
SB 1018: Burden of
Proof; Emergency Treatment (Sen. Carolyn Allen, R – Scottsdale) defines the standard of proof necessary to establish medical
malpractice for emergency departments as "clear and convincing." This measure includes paramedics and
emergency medical technicians. This bill awaits a hearing in the Senate
Health and Medical Liability Reform Committee.
SB
1048: Emergency Telecommunication Services; Administrative Costs (Sen. Linda
Gray, R – Glendale) increases the amount of monies in the Emergency
Telecommunications Services Trust Fund that can be used for administrative
costs from 3% to 5%. These dollars are
needed to protect the operations of the statewide 911 emergency system. SB
1048 passed the Senate Government Institutions Committee and awaits a hearing
in the Senate Rules Committee.
SB 1414: Theft; Catalytic Converter (Sen.
Debbie McCune Davis, D – Phoenix) makes the theft of a
catalytic converter a class 4 felony regardless of value. This bill awaits a June 15 hearing in the
Senate Judiciary Committee.
HB 2132: Scrap
Metal Dealers; Electronic Submission (Rep. Jerry Weiers, R – Glendale) mandates scrap metal dealers to
electronically submit purchase reports to the Arizona Department of Public
Safety (DPS). DPS must make the
information available to local law enforcement over the internet. HB 2132 passed the House Military Affairs and
Public Safety Committee by a vote of 8 – 0 and is awaiting a hearing in the
House Commerce Committee.
HB 2148: Human
Trafficking; Violation (Rep. Kyrsten Sinema, D – Phoenix) adds
all commercial sex acts, or sexually explicit performances, to the crime of sex
trafficking, expanding this section of law beyond solely prostitution. This bill passed the House Judiciary
Committee by a vote of 8 – 0 and is awaiting action in the House Committee of
the Whole.
HB 2465: Scrap Metal; Theft; Dealers (Rep. Jerry Weiers, R –
Glendale)
increases the list of prohibited items (manhole covers, catalytic converters,
water meters, etc.) that dealers cannot purchase unless authorized. The bill also requires dealers to
electronically submit transaction records to the Arizona Department of Public
Safety and make a database of such records accessible to local law
enforcement. HB 2465 passed the House Committee of the Whole and now awaits Third
Read action in the House.
HB 2530: Reckless
Driving; Prior Convictions (Rep. Cecil Ash, R – Mesa) establishes
enhanced sentencing for reckless driving offenders with prior reckless driving
violations. This bill passed the
House by a vote of 58 – 0 and now awaits Senate Committee assignments.
HB 2610: Civil
Liability; Affirmative Defenses (Rep. Jim Weiers, R – Phoenix) provides additional defenses for law
enforcement personnel against legal actions that may arise from use of police
equipment during commission of a felony.
HB 2610 passed the House by a
vote of 57 – 1 and now awaits Senate Committee assignments.
Bills to Oppose
SB 1162: GIITEM Appropriation;
Multijurisdictional Task Force (Sen.
Russell Pearce, R – Mesa) prohibits the
City from adopting policies for employees relating to reporting on immigration
status and establishes a civil liability for private causes of action for
violating this provision. This bill
passed the Senate Appropriations Committee by a vote of 8 – 3 and now awaits a
hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee.
SB 1175: Illegal Aliens;
Enforcement; Trespassing (Sen.
Russell Pearce, R – Mesa)
changes the standards and policies used to discipline law enforcement
officers. This measure would
micro-manage the City’s ability to manage and implement disciplinary procedures
over these personnel. SB 1175 passed the
Senate Public Safety and Human Services Committee by a vote of 4 – 3 and now
awaits action in the Senate Committee of the Whole.
SB 1338: Law
Enforcement Officers; Good Cause (Sen. Russell Pearce, R – Mesa)
changes the standards and policies used to discipline law enforcement
officers. This measure would preempt the
City’s existing, voter-approved disciplinary procedures for these
personnel. This bill is awaiting a
hearing in the Senate Public Safety and Human Services Committee.
HB
2258: Consumer Fireworks; Novelties; Sales (Rep. Andy Biggs, R – Gilbert) allows for the sale of
“consumer fireworks” and “novelties” by dealers licensed by the state fire
marshal. Licensing revenues would go
into a new fund and used for enforcement of the regulations required by the
bill. Staff is concerned with the fire
safety and preemption aspects of the bill.
HB 2258 passed the House by a
vote of 34 – 21 and now awaits a hearing in the Senate Government Institutions
Committee.
HB
2331: Federal Immigration Law; Enforcement (Rep. Tom Boone, R – Peoria) prohibits cities and counties
from enacting ordinances or adopting policies that in any way limit or prohibit
the lawful enforcement of federal immigration laws. Federal law already prohibits such ordinances
or policies; however, staff believes that the language of the bill is overly
broad. The bill passed the House by a vote of 38 – 21 and now awaits Senate
Committee assignments.
HB 2474: Firearms; Storage; Motor Vehicles (Rep. John
Kavanagh, R – Fountain Hills) prohibits property owners, employers,
or business entities from restricting a person who lawfully possesses a firearm
from storing a firearm in their vehicle that is in a parking lot. The City currently prohibits its employees
from having firearms in its workplace which includes parking facilities. HB 2474 passed the House by a vote of
41-10. The bill now awaits a hearing in the Senate Commerce and Economic
Developments Committee.
Bills to Watch
HB
2024: Law Enforcement; Duty Fitness Examination (Rep. John Kavanagh, R –
Fountain Hills)
mandates that employers of law enforcement and probation officers provide the
results of a duty fitness examination to the officer within five days of the
receipt of the results if the law or probation officer waives the right to an independent examination. This bill passed the House Military Affairs
and Public Safety Committee by a vote of 7 – 0 and now awaits action in the
House Committee of the Whole.
HB
2388: School Crossings; Signs (Rep. Andy Biggs, R – Gilbert) makes a number of changes to
the signage requirements for school crossings. Staff worked with the bill
sponsor in crafting the language for this measure. This bill passed the House Transportation and
Infrastructure Committee amended by a vote of 8 – 0. HB 2388 passed the House Committee of the
Whole and now awaits a Third Read vote on the House Floor.
NEIGHBORHOODS
Bills to Support
HB 2269:
Landlords; Tenants; Foreclosures (Rep. Sam Crump, R – Anthem) requires contact
information from entities that acquire properties through foreclosure to be
disclosed in the property deed. Also,
tenants of rental properties must be contacted prior to a trustee sale. This bill is awaiting a Third Read on the
House Floor.
HB 2551: Criminal
Damage; Classification (Rep. Anna Tovar, D – Tolleson) increases the crime of criminal damage in
an amount of $250 or less to a class 1 misdemeanor. This bill is being pursued on behalf of the
Neighborhood Services Department as an additional tool to discourage graffiti
crime. The bill passed the House
Judiciary Committee by a vote of 8 – 0 and now awaits action in the House
Committee of the Whole.
PLANNING & ZONING
Bills to Oppose
HB
2124: Commercial Lease; Sales Taxes (Rep. Andy Biggs, R – Gilbert) exempts from municipal tax the
gross proceeds of sales or gross income when a corporation leases property from
another corporation, where both corporations are 80% owned by the same
shareholders. Staff believes this bill
would negatively impact city revenues.
HB 2124 passed the House Ways and Means committee 5 – 3 and
passed House Committee of the Whole. HB
2124 now awaits Third Read action in the House.
HB
2259: Local Development Fees; Procedures (Rep. Andy Biggs, R – Gilbert) makes various changes to the
statute governing municipal development fees, including broad verbiage
that would require all taxes generated by a development to be earmarked and
credited against any impact fee computation.
Most taxes are used to support the general services a city provides,
rather than capital improvements. Staff
opposes this language in the bill that can be interpreted to treat taxes as
offsets against impact fees. This bill passed the House
Commerce Committee by a vote of 7 – 1.
HB 2259 now awaits action in the House Committee of the Whole.
Bills to Watch
HB
2329: Solar Energy; Permit Fees (Rep. Tom Boone, R – Peoria) caps the fees that
municipalities or counties can charge for building permits for solar energy
construction. Currently, cities are
allowed to recoup the cost associated with administering the inspection
process. This bill passed the House
Water and Energy Committee by a vote of 8 – 0.
HB 2329 passed the House by a
vote of 44 – 7 and now awaits a hearing in the Senate Government Committee.
WATER & ENVIRONMENT
Bills to Support
SB 1288: CAGRD Revenue Bonding;
Sustainability Policies (Sen. John Nelson, R – Phoenix)
authorizes the Central Arizona Water Conservation District to issue bonds for
projects necessary to fulfill its replenishment obligations. Monies for bond repayment shall derive from
membership dues assessed on all land parcels within the district and from other
revenue sources. The bill strengthens
the economic viability of the CAGRD in meeting future obligations to replenish groundwater
supplies. SB 1288 awaits a hearing in
the Senate Natural Resources, Infrastructure, and Public Debt committee.
SB 1403:
Renewable; High-Wage Industries Incentive (Sen. Barbara Leff, R – Paradise
Valley) provides income tax
credits and property tax reclassifications for renewable energy operations for
tax years 2010 through 2014. This bill passed the Senate Commerce and
Economic Development Committee by a vote of 5 – 2 and now awaits action in the
Senate Committee of the Whole.
HB 2142: County Water Authority; Colorado River (Rep. Nancy McLain, R – Bullhead City) provides additional flexibility for on-river
water users to utilize their Colorado River entitlements. HB 2142 passed Third Read by a vote of 52 –
7 and now awaits committee assignments in the Senate.
HB
2157: Wildlife; Aquatic Invasive Species (Rep. Nancy McLain, R – Bullhead City) permits the Arizona Game and Fish Director
to create an aquatic invasive species program.
The bill could aid the City’s water treatment facilities. This bill passed the House Committee of the
Whole. HB 2157 is awaiting a Third Read
vote in the House.
HB
2247: Home Sales; Water Supply Disclosure (Rep. Edward Ableser, D – Tempe) requires that developers that
build subdivisions outside of active water management areas disclose the
subdivision’s water supply to the county clerk at the time of the initial
plat. This bill passed the House
Commerce Committee by a vote of 6 – 0 and now awaits action in the House
Committee of the Whole.
HB 2336: Community
Facilities Districts; Renewable Energy (Rep. Lucy Mason, R- Prescott) permits a county board of supervisors to
establish renewable energy incentive districts.
This bill passed Third Read by a
vote of 49 – 10 and now awaits committee assignments in the Senate.
HB 2424: Illegal
Dumping; Penalties (Rep. Barbara McGuire, D – Phoenix) establishes requirements and penalties for
the removal of trash and other debris on private or public property. Staff worked with the bill sponsor to ensure
that the City’s Neighborhood Preservation Ordinance was not impacted. HB 2424 passed the House Judiciary Committee
by a vote of 8 – 0 and now awaits action by in the House Committee of the
Whole.
ELECTIONS
Bills to Support
SB 1006: Primary Election Date (Sen. Jim Waring, R – Phoenix) returns the primary election date to the
eighth Tuesday before the general election in order to avoid having the primary
election fall on the day after the Labor Day holiday. When Election Day is the day after the
holiday, it presents considerable problems and inconvenience for polling
places, precinct board workers and election officials to deliver supplies, and
set up and prepare the polling places on the day before the election. Voters are also inconvenienced by the
election occurring on the day after a three day holiday weekend. SB
1006 awaits a hearing in the Senate Government Institutions Committee.
HB 2627: Voter
Identification; Military Identification (Rep. David Gowan, R – Sierra Vista) specifies the types of identification that
can be used in order to vote, including a military identification card, which
is currently not acceptable. HB 2427 passed Third Read by a vote of 59 – 0
and now awaits committee assignments in the Senate.
MISCELLANEOUS
Bills to Support
SB 1063: Domestic
Violence Victims; Fee Exemptions (Sen. Jim Waring, R – Phoenix) exempts persons
receiving services from a domestic violence shelter from having to pay fees
when applying for a duplicate drivers license and birth certificate. This
bill passed the Senate Public Safety and Human Services Committee by a vote of
7 – 0 and now awaits action in the Senate Committee of the Whole.
SB 1323: Emergency
Mutual Aid Agreements (Sen. Barbara Leff, R – Paradise Valley) allows
governmental entities to enter into mutual aid agreements with private water
and wastewater companies. This
legislation is being pursued on behalf of the Water Services Department. This bill awaits a hearing in the Senate
Government Institutions committee.
HB
2129: State Aviation Fund; Grants (Rep. Jerry Weiers, R – Glendale) increases State Aviation Fund
grants from a maximum 10% of a facility’s one year average annual revenue to
10% of three year combined revenue. This
bill makes it easier for smaller airports to secure state aviation monies. HB 2129 passed the House Appropriations
Committee by a vote of 11 – 0. This bill
now awaits action in the House Committee of the Whole.
HB 2144:
Insurance; Actuarial Opinions; Financial Audits (Rep. Nancy McLain, R –
Bullhead City) requires
that by January 1, 2011, every insurer in the state with aggregate premiums of
more than $1 million, or with more than 1,000 policyholders, must comply
with the financial auditing requirements of the National Association of
Insurance Commissioners. Since the City
is a purchaser of property and casualty insurance, staff believes that the
reporting and confidentiality requirements of the proposed legislation would be
beneficial to the City. HB 2144 passed
the House Committee of the Whole and now awaits a Third Read vote in the House.
HB
2253: Publication of Notices; Websites (Rep. Russ Jones, R – Yuma) establishes a study committee
to review the requirements of publishing public notices in local
newspapers. This bill passed the House by a vote of 52 – 4
and now awaits a hearing in the Senate Government Institutions Committee.
HB
2282: Equine Tripping; Violation (Rep. Kyrsten Sinema, D – Phoenix) establishes a class 1
misdemeanor for horse tripping. This
bill passed the House Judiciary Committee by a vote of 8 – 0 and now awaits
action in the House Committee of the Whole.
HB 2390: Escort
Vehicles; Training (Rep. Andy Biggs, R – Gilbert) requires that escort vehicle drivers have a
minimum of four hours of training in certified traffic control techniques in
addition to a valid escort vehicle operator certificate. The
bill passed the House by a vote of 52 – 0 and now awaits a hearing in the
Senate Natural Resources, Infrastructure and Public Debt Committee.
HB 2399: Automated
External Defibrillators (Rep. Nancy Barto, R – Phoenix) establishes that maintenance, testing, and reporting on the use of
automated external defibrillators is the responsibility of the person or entity
that acquires a defibrillator, instead of a physician who agrees with the
person or entity to oversee the defibrillator.
This bill passed the House Committee of the Whole and now awaits a Third
Read vote.
HB 2431: Vicious
Animal Assault; Classification (Rep. Steve Montenegro, R – Litchfield Park) establishes a class 3 felony on persons
that intentionally or knowingly cause a dog to bite or inflict serious injury
upon another person. This bill passed
the House Committee of the Whole and now awaits a Third Read vote in the House.
HB 2458: Dogs;
Cats; Release From Pound (Rep. Steve Court, R – Mesa) mandates that a dog or cat that was
impounded for biting a person, or for being a stray, must be sterilized and
microchipped before being adopted or released to its owner. Certain exceptions apply. This
bill passed the House by a vote of 51 – 8 and now awaits Senate committee
assignments.
Bills to Oppose
SB 1001: Web and
Video Conference Software (Sen. Jim Waring, R – Phoenix) requires cities and other government bodies
to purchase web and video conference software as well as to provide training
and have 100% of its employees capable of using the software within four
years. This bill awaits a hearing in the Senate Government Institutions
committee.
SB 1002: Elected
Officials; Print; Visual Media (Sen. Jim Waring, R – Phoenix) prohibits elected officials from using
public money in any media that names or identifies the public official. As interpreted by staff, city elected
officials would violate this statute by simply appearing on the City’s
dedicated TV station. This would hinder
the ability of elected officials to effectively communicate with City
residents. SB 1002 awaits a hearing in the House Appropriations committee.
SB 1142: Public Expenditure Transparency
Database (Sen. Jonathan Paton, R – Tucson)
requires counties and municipalities to establish and maintain a searchable
database on their individual websites that contain comprehensive information on
revenue and expenditures by the entity.
If enacted, counties and municipalities must have the database
functioning either on Jan.
1, 2010 or Jan. 1, 2011 depending on the population of the entity. This legislation would increase City
expenditures in order to create and maintain the database. SB 1142 passed the Senate Appropriations
Committee by a vote of 7 – 3 and now awaits a Third Read vote by the Senate.
SB 1441: Public Expenditure Transparency
(Sen. Al Melvin, R – Tucson)
requires municipalities, counties, school districts, charter schools, and
community college districts to establish and maintain an official website that
is a comprehensive database of expenditures of monies, including funding
sources. Staff believes the financial
and administration requirements of the legislation would be burdensome and
costly. This bill passed the Senate
Appropriations Committee by a vote of 7 – 4 and now awaits a Third Read vote by
the Senate.
HB 2615: Government Transparency; Political Subdivisions (Rep. Steve
Montenegro,
R – Litchfield Park) requires all levels of government to create and maintain a
website database of all receipts and expenditures, beginning in January 1, 2011.
This legislation would increase City expenditures in order to create and
maintain the database. This bill passed
the House Committee of the Whole and now awaits Third Read action.
RECOMMENDATION
Staff requests City Council approval, guidance and direction on these
State legislative issues impacting the City.
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GENERAL FUND REDUCTIONS DUE TO
LEGISLATIVE BUDGET
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TO:
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Ed Zuercher
Deputy
City Manager
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FROM:
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Cathleen Gleason
Budget and
Research Director
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SUBJECT:
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GENERAL FUND REDUCTIONS DUE TO LEGISLATIVE
BUDGET
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The Arizona
state legislature passed a budget last week that included a reduction in
vehicle license tax funds shared with cities and counties. State-shared vehicle license tax funds are a
General Fund revenue source. The League
of Arizona Cities and Towns has estimated the impact to the City of Phoenix
at $11.8 million for fiscal year 2009-10.
This would be in addition to the $156 million in program cuts already
this year. With each additional cut
made, services to be cut are more critical.
This memo outlines the most likely reductions in city programs that
would result from an $11.8 million loss of General Fund revenue.
Police – $5.0 million
The Police Department has made significant cuts in civilian
support positions, used salary savings from officer positions that will become
vacant though attrition, reduced helicopter flight hours, and cut contractual
and commodity costs. A cut of this size
may result in the layoff of sworn officers.
These layoffs could affect management, supervision, specialty units, and
patrol.
Fire – $2.7 million
The Fire Department has made cuts in civilian positions, used
salary savings from firefighter positions that will become vacant through
attrition, will open a new fire station with existing staff, reduced Fire
Prevention enforcement, and cut contractual and commodity costs. A cut of this size may result in the layoff
of sworn firefighters, management, and supervisors. These layoffs could affect both specialty
units and front-line emergency responders.
Parks and Recreation – $1.0 million
The Parks Department has already made significant reductions
in recreation, swimming and parks maintenance programs and increased user fees
significantly. Another cut of this size
will result in additional pool closures and a 25 percent reduction in large
community center hours.
Library – $0.4 million
The Library Department has already reduced library branch
hours from 72 hours per week to 52 hours per week at about half of the
branches. The other half of the branches
are closed altogether on Sundays, with service provided only 48 hours per
week. This additional cut will result in
all branches being closed on Sundays.
Municipal Court – $0.4 million
The Municipal Court eliminated two courtrooms and reduced one
of three time slots from the daily Jail Court
docket. It also reduced the number of
substance abuse screeners responsible for referring domestic violence
defendants to diversion programs. An
additional cut of this size will result in the closing of another courtroom.
Street Transportation – $0.3 million
The Street Transportation Department reduced staff responsible
for a variety of duties including:
striping, signal maintenance, street repair, wash and drainage
maintenance, and traffic volume analysis.
Additional cuts will result in reduced staff for the maintenance and
repair of streets and bridges. This
means it will take longer to repair and rebuild infrastructure.
Human Services – $0.3 million
The Human Services Department has already closed a family
services center, two senior centers, reduced services at remaining senior
centers, eliminated youth programs, and reduced funding provided to both the
Local Alcoholic Reception Center (LARC) and Central Arizona Shelter Services (CASS). Additional cuts in the Human Services Department
will result in further reductions to the homeless population services and LARC
or a further reduction in services provided at remaining senior centers.
Public Works – $0.2 million
The Public Works department reduced the level of maintenance
and repair to the buildings and facilities it manages. If not restored, these reductions can result
in higher cost repairs in the future.
Additional reductions in Public Works will deteriorate the level of
building maintenance even further.
Public Transit – $0.2 million
As a result of reduced General Fund support, the Public
Transit Department has made cuts to bus routes and neighborhood
circulators. It has also reduced
landscape maintenance and cleaning of Park-and-Ride facilities. Further reductions in General Fund support to
Public Transit will reduce normal bus service frequency on several holidays or
affect non-ADA Dial-A-Ride services.
City Prosecutor – $0.2 million
The City Prosecutor has reduced the number of attorneys
working in the Trial Bureau, an environmental courtroom, community prosecution,
and those assigned to the US Attorneys Office prosecuting Federal firearm
crimes. Further reductions to the
Prosecutor’s budget will result in fewer attorneys responsible for prosecuting
domestic violence and other cases.
Neighborhood Services – $0.1 million
The Neighborhood Services Department made significant
reductions in its neighborhood preservation and enforcement staff and other
small reductions to the Graffiti Busters program. Additional cuts will reduce staff
coordinating community outreach and training aimed at enhancing neighborhood
problem solving and also lead to further cuts in the code enforcement or
graffiti programs.
All Other General Fund Departments and Functions – $1.0
million
Departments included here are Budget and Research, City
Auditor, City Clerk, Elected Officials, City Manager, Engineering,
Environmental Programs, Equal Opportunity, Finance, Government Relations,
Information Technology, Law, Arts and Culture, Personnel, Planning, Public
Defender, Public Information and other small functions. These departments took the largest cuts in
terms of percentage in all previous reductions.
Further cuts will undermine the City’s fiscal control, financial
systems, and statutory compliance and increase the risk of errors and
losses. The City’s ability to implement
improvements, identify cost reductions, and change programs will be
reduced. Citizen response will decline.
Many of these departments provide important internal control
functions that have already been impacted by previous cuts. Others provide essential services needed for
the City to continue basic operations.
Yet others provide necessary services to the public and the business
community. Further cuts in these areas
will be very difficult.