The report is the first step in the formal budget process that normally begins in the spring. But after 10 consecutive years of cuts, the city is looking to get a jump-start on what could be a very ugly budget season.
The city has already declared a fiscal emergency. Staff has already been stripped to otherwise unthinkable levels. Public safety employees have been furloughed, laid off, or reduced through attrition. Now, some say that the city may shutter its libraries and community centers during the summer.
From the San Jose Mercury News:
Every San Jose branch library shuttered. All city community center programs shut down. No more school crossing guards or park rangers. Even fewer cops.
That will likely be the reality for San Jose residents next summer if city officials don’t raise taxes or trim employee pensions and perks, city administrators told San Jose’s elected leaders Tuesday.
“This is no way to run a city of a million people,” City Manager Debra Figone warned. “The solutions are not popular. This is a pivotal year.”
Read the full article here.