Excerpts from pjstar.com:
The continued dwindling of tax revenue flowing into city coffers has prompted the Peoria city manager to put together a budget proposal that raises revenue through increased taxes and fees while lowering costs through cuts to close a projected $6 million deficit in the 2019 budget. Among those cuts currently under consideration are two fire trucks and 22 firefighters — a $2.2 million reduction in the Peoria Fire Department budget.
The department cut $1.1 million this year, including the elimination of some unfilled positions. If the proposed 2019 cuts pass, the result would be a 15 percent decline in manpower at the Peoria Fire Department during the past two years. Two classes of new firefighters hired and trained in 2018, under a plan to help diversify the department, would be laid off if the proposed cuts go through. The call load for firefighters has tripled and the variety of their training and responsibilities has significantly expanded in the last few decades, while the personnel at the Peoria Fire Department has remained relatively flat.
According to the president of the local firefighters union, Ryan Brady, lives will be at risk if budgets get balanced on the backs of his members.
“Fire doubles in size with every minute that goes by,” Brady said. “If you couple fire doubling in size with longer response times and less resources to respond, undoubtedly, you are putting citizens and firefighters at a greater risk and increasing property losses and injury.”
The Peoria Police Department, which has lost more than 50 officer positions over a span of time in which firefighters lost none, also faces cuts under the 2019 proposal, though the additional police losses appear to be covered by attrition.
Both departments, which represent the largest share of wages and pension payments covered by the city, are comparably staffed at about 200 employees apiece.
City officials often point to pension obligations as the top drain on city resources and an area in need of urgent reform. Brady, however, countered the city’s public safety pension costs are so high because of how long the accounts were underfunded.
“Approximately 25 years ago, the Peoria fire pension fund was effectively 90-plus percent funded,” Brady said. “However, due to the misappropriation of funding or lack of funding by previous mayors, city managers and councils, we are faced with dealing with the situation present day.”
A special meeting to discuss budget proposals is scheduled for 6 p.m. Monday at City Hall.
