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Jun 15, 2009 5:47 pm US/Central
Dallas' Budget Deficit May Mean Fewer Services
DALLAS (CBS 11 / TXA 21) ―
Dallas residents who rely on libraries and rec centers may soon find their hours and activities severely curtailed as the city struggles with a massive budget deficit.
The deficit stands at $190 million right now. City staffers can cut it to about $40 million, but doing so will probably mean big reductions in city services.
The most severe proposal is to send pink slips to nearly 20% of the civilian work force. It would eliminate 800 jobs and leave unfilled another 400 that are currently vacant.
But residents will feel the pinch, too, at home and around the corner.
Dallas residents we talked to say the newly-opened Hampton-Illinois Branch Library serves thousands of people a day. But under current proposals branch libraries would be cut back to just 23 hours a week.
Across the street, the Kiest Park Recreation Venter hosts up to a thousand people on some days. But rec center hours across Dallas would be cut back to save money.
Road repairs would also be cut under the proposal. Money to fix potholes would have to come out of something besides the city's general budget fund.
The city is also planning to increase user fees for things like athletic fields and water and sewer. Police, fire, and code compliance will not be scaled back, though overtime will be curtailed and more supervisors -- especially police officers -- will find themselves out of an office job and back working the streets.
City Council members feel a tax rate increase is out of the question. They see it as an unnecessary burden to residents already strapped for funds. But the money has to come from somewhere, so budget cuts are the likely solution.
(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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