In 2010 and 2011, the City was dealing with the worst of its financial crisis. It had to find ways to adjust its budget, which had a $15 million shortfall, to cope with the new fiscal reality which included the 1-2-3% cap on Property Taxes instituted across the state, and a workforce which was far larger than comparably sized cities.
Through shared sacrifice and austerity measures, the City has reduced its overall budget. The City has not been able to offer across the board raises in over five years. In these lean times, City workers have been asked to do more with less, and collectively, they have delivered.
As a result of these savings, the City is now able to offer current full time employees a bonus of $500.00. Workers will receive this bonus in mid-December, 2013.
“In 2010, we were a City on the brink” commented Mayor Anthony Copeland. “We could have kept speeding over that cliff, or make a decision to fundamentally change the City’s approach to fiscal matters. We decided to do what was wise, even if it meant some hard decisions had to be made. We found ways to become more efficient and more effective in the way we serve our residents, and protect our neighborhoods. We are seeing this approach bear fruit, and there are more positive things to come.”