Police, Firefighters OK Cuts

Police officers and firefighters in Galveston have approved city manager Steve LeBlanc’s plan to cut salaries by 3% to avoid layoffs in the hurricane-ravaged city.

LeBlanc said before Christmas that Galveston had to cut its budget by $3.6 million to avoid reducing the number of city employees on Jan. 1. The city can cut employee salaries without their consent, but the public safety employees had to approve the cut because their compensation is set through agreements with their employee associations.

Hurricane Ike hit the coastal city on Sept. 13, flooding 75% of the houses and businesses on Galveston Island. Tax revenue is expected to be 10% lower in fiscal 2010 than in fiscal 2009.

In last week’s vote by the employee associations, 96 of Galveston’s 106 police officers and 76 of its 82 firefighters approved the salary cut.

The City Council is expected to approve the pay cut on Jan. 22. The lower salaries will become effective Feb. 1.

Galveston will save almost $900,000 by not refilling 84 vacant positions. However, it faces a $5.5 million deficit for fiscal 2010 if this year’s property tax appraisals drop by a third, as expected.

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