The
City Council, facing a budget deficit of $84 million, examined a number of cost
cutting measures that affects the quality of life and safety of the Santa
Teresa Foothills neighborhood. The FY 2009-2010 City budget (passed on June 23)
preserves public safety, neighborhood services, economic development and other
essential City services by streamlining administration and utilizing one–time
revenues to balance the budget.
The
approved budget saves many of the programs that were slated to be cut.
Unfortunately, some programs have been reduced, including traffic calming and
street landscape maintenance. The City will remove the higher maintenance types
of landscaping in the coming months and will only implement traffic calming
projects that improve safety.
Closing the budget deficit of $84 million would not have been possible without
the support of the City’s employees. Nearly all of the employee union groups
came forward to renegotiate their contracts and forego raises in order to save
City services and jobs.
San Jose
continued to receive a positive credit rating from three national rating
agencies. S&P rated San Jose
with an AAA rating, Fitch rated San Jose AA+ and Moody rated us Aa1. Having a
sound fiscal profile enables San Jose
to borrow at favorable interest rates and it shows confidence in the City’s
financial management, particularly when a number of other Bay Area cities faced
even more severe budget issues.
However,
the State level budget woes are likely to impact San Jose in the future. Council Members Ash
Kalra and Nancy Pyle are involved in dealing with the State to minimize the
fallout on the city.
“I am
proud of the fact that my Council colleagues and I were able to bridge an $80
million budget deficit without a major hit to services to the community and
public safety. However, it looks like we will be suffering, once again, at the
hands of the State as their budget fixes will inordinately impact our bottom
line,” said Council Member Ash Kalra (District 2). “The Governor has proposed
taking billions from local jurisdictions. The impact of the recommended taking
to San José is close to $100 million, which is greater than the hole we just
creatively dug ourselves out of in June! Rest assured we are lobbying hard to
fight the State as hard as we can. In the end, we may lose the battle and tough
choices regarding city services may have to be made. If that is the case, you
can be certain that I will do my best to inform the community of impacts so we
can weather this financial storm together.”
While the impact of State cuts has yet to be felt, here’s how the City’s budget
cuts affects your neighborhood. Please check the STFNA map to see if you’re
living in District 10 (Council Member Nancy Pyle), or District 2 (Council
Member Ash Kalra).
District
10: City Budget Impact
|
Proposed Cut
|
How the cut would have affected services in
District 10 (was not implemented)
|
Final budget that was
approved
|
|
Close Fire Station 30 & 33
|
Reduced services in the Communications Hill area
|
Both Fire Stations will remain open
|
|
Reduce Library hours to 4 days per week
|
Almaden Library would only be open
Wednesday – Saturday and Vineland Library would only be open Monday -
Thursday
|
All City libraries will be open at least five days per
week, possibly six days depending on labor negotiations outcomes with two
unresolved contracts
|
|
Eliminate park ranger program
|
Almaden Lake Park
would not have any rangers and the trail system would not be patrolled
|
Almaden Lake Park will
continue to have park rangers
|
|
Close 6 neighborhood and satellite community centers
|
No District 10 neighborhood centers would be closed
|
All neighborhood and community centers City
wide will remain open this year and the City will try to identify non–profits
to run the centers next year
|
|
Reduce Code
enforcement staffing by 2.35 positions
|
District 10 would have had reduced code enforcement staff
and greatly increased response times to reports of blight
|
The current level of funding and response times will
continue
|
|
Elimination of the Crime Prevention unit
|
The Neighborhood Watch program would have been eliminated
|
Neighborhood Watch program will continue
|
|
Eliminate 1 of 7 police traffic enforcement units
|
Reduction in speeding
patrols and school
safety patrols
|
The current level of traffic enforcement will continue
|
|
Eliminate the police
mounted unit
|
The mounted unit would not have been available for class
presentations and District 10 events
|
The City will keep the mounted unit
|
|
Reduce support for
non-profits and arts organizations
|
Fewer cultural events and arts events would have been
available in San Jose
|
The current level of funding will continue
|
|
VTA Service Cuts
|
Cuts
are being proposed to lines with low ridership totaling 6% of total bus
service
and 8% of total light rail service. Effected lines in District 10 include the
Line 13 community bus weekend service, late evening service on the line 27
and minor changes to other routes.
|
Cuts pending and may be moderated by further Council
action.
|
District 2: City Budget Impact
|
Proposed
Cuts
|
How
the cut would have impacted services in District 2 (was not implemented)
|
Final
Approved Budget
|
|
Reduce
library hours by a total of 13 hours a week, down from 47 hours to 34 hours
per week.
|
Edenvale
Library would see a reduction in available services and hours.
|
All
libraries will be open at least five days a week.
|
|
Close
six community centers beginning January 2010.
|
Los Paseos Youth
Center
would be closed.
|
All
city-wide community centers will remain open. The City will attempt to find
non-profits to run the centers next year.
|
|
Eliminate
the Crime Prevention Unit.
|
The
Neighborhood Watch program would end.
|
The
Neighborhood Watch program will continue.
|
|
Eliminate
1 of 7 Traffic Enforcement Units.
|
This
would reduce speeding patrols and school safety patrols.
|
Regular
level of funding will continue.
|
|
Reduce
support for non-profits and the arts.
|
Fewer
cultural and artistic events would be available in San José.
|
The
current level of funding will continue.
|
|
Eliminate
proactive code enforcement in non-SNI areas.
|
Reduced
code enforcement staff and longer response times to code violation reports.
|
The
current level of funding and response times will continue.
|
|
Reduce
hours at the Police
Administration Building.
|
Lack
of direct access to police services.
|
Current
hours of operation (6 AM to midnight) will continue.
|