Tulsa Tightening Its Belt

Tulsa Mayor Kathy Taylor presented the City Council last week with a $577 million budget for fiscal 2010 that is down $8 million, or 1.4%, from the fiscal 2009 budget.

The operating budget totals $528 million with a capital budget of $49 million. The operating budget is down only 0.9%, but the capital budget fell by 20.3%.

“This is not my preferred budget,” Taylor said in her presentation. “But the harsh reality is that this is a year of historic economic challenges.”

The mayor’s proposed budget includes $213.6 million for public works, $185 million for public safety, and $68 million for debt service.

The budget anticipates the loss of 96 positions, including 17 that are currently filled, for a savings of $3.2 million. The city has some 4,000 employees.

“Because we are a service-based organization, a large part of our budget is salaries,” Taylor said. “It has been clear that salaries have to be a part of the solution to meet this temporary downturn.”

Four-day unpaid furloughs are being recommended for Tulsa employees. Taylor said that is equivalent to a 1.54% pay cut for each employee, which would save the city about $3.6 million.

The council must approve the budget before fiscal 2010 begins July 1.

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