What cost savings measures has the Board of Selectmen put into place?
Over the past three fiscal years, the Board of Selectmen has actively and vigorously engaged in a two-pronged approach to containing and reduction costs for municipal services: REDUCTION/ELIMINATION and DEFERRAL. We differentiate these categories because the items in Reduction/Elimination are not expected to return, but those in Deferrals are items and projects that cannot be eliminated, just delayed.
Reduction/Elimination
Personnel: Over these past three budgets, 5% of the total municipal workforce has been reduced. Positions have been eliminated in Land Use, the Building Department, Public Works, Police Department, Records department, and Tax Office. Summer work has been reduced or eliminated in Town Clerks office and in Parks and Recreation.
The Parks and Recreation Department, Tax Office, and Public Works Department have been have been restructured. Positions have been reclassified, work consolidated.
Negotiated Contracts: All bargaining units have experienced a year of 0% increase. Non-union personnel have had multiple years with 0% increase. All contracts going forward have very modest wage increases, 1.75% to 1.95%. No wage increases provided summer employees for P&R.
Employee Medical Benefits: We continue to experience positive results with our self-funded medical insurance program. We also saved money going to one consultant in partnership with the BoE. All municipal employees have agreed to a less costly and less comprehensive medical plan and plan co-pay and cost-share has increased for every employee.
Program Impacts: Landfill closed one day; reduced pool hours; reduced financial support for Children’s Adventure Center and for Edmond Town Hall. Cleaning services eliminated for the Emergency operations center and for the NUSAR building and shifted to town agencies. Funding for FHA reduced by $400,000 and contracted position eliminated. Fields work and contract responsibilities shifted to Police department and Parks and recreation with no additional costs. Reduction in scope and scale of road and drainage work.
Deferrals
Car Pool – no replacement of vehicles for three budget years
Capital Equipment – denied/delayed/deferred: truck bodies, road sweeper, equipment for public works; police cars; equipment for fire departments and vehicles and equipment for Parks and Recreation
Communications equipment upgrade delayed
Highway projects: reduced capital road and drainage projects; overlays and line painting
Recycling program with new totes implementation delayed
Facilities improvements for police station and multi-purpose building delayed
Tree trimming and removals delayed/reduced
Epl 5/8/2012
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