Atlanta city workers decry layoffs
The emotional side of Atlanta’s budget crisis was on display Tuesday night, as dozens of former city employees whose jobs have been eliminated since last week complained during a public hearing.
"What do I do now?"35-year city employee Eugene Wallace asked members of the city council. "I lose my house and everything else… They put me out on the street like they put the trash out."
The fiscal 2009 budget proposed by Mayor Shirley Franklin last week slashes more than 400 jobs from the city payroll, mostly in departments other than public safety, to help offset a projected $140 million shortfall. Franklin also asked the council to hike property taxes by $40 million and raise additional revenues through a series of fee increases.
On Tuesday night, during the first of three public hearings on the $583.9 million budget, many speakers blamed the woes that have befallen hundreds of rank-and-file workers on the administration’s financial staff payday loans.
An internal audit released last month blamed the city’s fiscal crunch in part on poor budgeting practices, including basing spending decisions on anticipated surpluses that failed to materialize.
"Who is policing these managers, these department heads?" said Gina Pagnotta, president of the Professional Association of City Employees, which represents about 350 city workers. "Somebody needs to address them and discipline them."
The audit also blamed the red ink on the rising costs of health care and employee pensions.
The other two hearings will be held later this week and next week. Council members are scheduled to vote on the budget on June 2.
Filed under: finance by Finance Boss