Tulsa Mulls More Cuts

The Tulsa City Council today will review Mayor Kathy Taylor’s ideas on how to cut an additional $5.2 million from her proposed $578 million budget for fiscal 2010.

The council heard details on $5 million in cuts from the operating budget last week, but one aspect of the revised plan calls for increasing the unpaid furlough days for employees to as many as eight from four. Finance director Mike Kier said that would be equivalent to a 3.1% salary reduction for the city’s 4,000 employees.

Unions representing public safety employees and other workers oppose the furlough plan. Negotiations are under way with those groups.

The city last imposed four furlough days in 2002, but public safety was exempted.

Taylor has proposed a $1 surcharge on tickets at the Tulsa Performing Arts Center and a $2 special events surcharge for parking in lots and garages operated by the Tulsa Parking Authority.

The proposed budget was based on a projection of $234 million in revenues in fiscal 2010, but the latest estimate is for $207.5 million in revenues.

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