HeraldNet: Monroe may cut police, other city workers to make budget

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There are options
If the unions would agree to a wage freeze for the next two years then employees would not have to be let go. Unions generally believe that it is better to lose 2 employees while keeping salary and benefits the same for the "whole" vs. losing ground in their contracts by taking concessions. It is going to be up to the employees to determine whether money is more important to them than people. Maybe they could forgo their raises, but stipulate that they eventually get their money when finances return to better times. City Hall has taken a huge hit and all is left is the police department. So sad. The "land deal" is the problem and will remain the problem until it is sold. Whomever made that decision put Monroe in this predicament.
Concerned Citizen | Jul 28, 2010 10:37 am | 4 replies | Request removal

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Re: There are options
The Unions gave concessions to save jobs in 2008 I'm sure an agreement can be made in 2010. Your right about the land deal. That sole peice of property has really tanked the City. The former council was arrogant and made so many demands on the prior developer. The developer had enough and walked away from hundreds of thousands of interest money. The Mayors on the right road to change the City's reputation for being "difficult" to work with.
Northwest32 | Jul 28, 2010 11:11 am | Request removal

Re: There are options
I agree with the land deal. Get rid of the person that made that grand decision.
john paul | Jul 29, 2010 8:54 pm | Request removal

Re: There are options
Fortunately Monroe voters got rid of the problem last November. No one from the Council in 2005 remains. The new mayor and Council are stuck with the current mess, however, they appear to be making the tough, but correct, decisions.
Furcryin Outloud | Aug 02, 2010 4:24 pm | Request removal

Re: There are options
Furcryin Outloud...
I know your post is old, but I hope you check back for this correction. There are two members of the city council from 2005 still there. Tony Balk, who has proven that silence and in-action get you re-elected. And our current mayor Robert Zimmerman was a council member back then. Ironically, the herald had this to say after talking to him back in January.

"Zimmerman said he is not opposed to taxes. Instead, he supports the careful use of those dollars. He pointed to the Monroe Family YMCA, built with public and private money, as an ideal project."

But now he, without contacting the Y, approved cutting the contract. For the record, I agree with cutting the contract. I don't like the lies that got him, and other elected. Our new mayor is the least "public" public official we have seen in a long time.
Jeff Frye | Aug 18, 2010 3:28 pm | Request removal

Sad day.
This is such a sad day for the community. Laying off police officers in order to save the city from bankruptcy is foolish.

First off, why doesn't the Mayor who works maybe 8 hours a week, and gets paid a FULL TIME Mayoral wage take a 50% paycut?

Next, there is a restructuring plan that has been circulated that could have saved jobs, money and keep the community safe by keeping all the officers on the road. But, since it was not the Mayor's idea, it is a bad idea.

It is time to recall the Mayor and do a major restructuring of the city.

After the Mayor was elected he stated he had a grand plan of saving the city hundreds of thousands of dollars, yet, there has been no plan implemented or brought forth for any one to see.

Thank you Heritage Baptist Church and its congregation for running the City of Monroe into the ground.
Betsy Ross | Jul 28, 2010 10:12 am | 3 replies | Request removal

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Re: Sad day.
Amen to that.
Seri Ously | Jul 28, 2010 3:13 pm | Request removal

Re: Sad day.
You have an issue with the truth. Monroe's current Mayor, just like the previous one, is paid a PART TIME wage. I'm sure you know this, but post misinformation anyway. Monroe doesn't need a full time mayor. It took the previous mayor 40 hours a week to do 20 hours of work = incompetent, ineffective and no longer in office.

Please shed some light on how Heritage Baptist Church is relevant in the discussion. Hate much?
Oh Please | Aug 03, 2010 10:54 am | Request removal

Re: Sad day.
The mayor makes $36,000 a year... Not a bad part time salary.
Mp D | Aug 05, 2010 6:07 am | Request removal

(No heading)
The best idea of all: RECALL the Mayor and get rid of the Police Chief. Period.
Betsy Ross | Jul 29, 2010 12:30 pm | 1 replies | Request removal

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Re: (No heading)
What an idiot. The "mayor" you should be focusing on got "recalled" last November by a margin of about 60% to 40%.
Furcryin Outloud | Aug 02, 2010 4:27 pm | Request removal

Paycuts save jobs
I'll bet jobs can be saved if paycuts are taken. Most unions will sacrifice their own rather than tighten the belt. I hope Monroe's unions are different.
Furcryin Outloud | Aug 2, 2010 4:16 pm | 0 replies | Request removal

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Of course...
Hurt the non-union people, to help the union people...of course. make the unions look even worse...of course.
Marvin Miller | Jul 30, 2010 4:52 am | 0 replies | Request removal

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Job Cuts
Why is it that at the bottom of every pile of dung, there is a Union?
Mrs. Murtha | Jul 29, 2010 5:50 am | 3 replies | Request removal

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Re: Job Cuts
And at the top of your dung pile is a politician, dumping more dung on the Union.
Northwest32 | Jul 29, 2010 9:43 am | Request removal

Re: Job Cuts
I always thought politicians were bought, paid for and between the sheets with unions. Either way, both are doing a great job destroying America.
Mrs. Murtha | Jul 29, 2010 5:37 pm | Request removal

Re: Job Cuts
Nice post, These officers are out risking there lives for you and thats the best you have.How about looking where the funds go, or what has been purchased. They are politicians can you really trust them?
john paul | Jul 29, 2010 8:46 pm | Request removal

police service
It is obvious that the spending of the city needs to slow down. But at what cost. Who are we to judge how much an officer makes. You and I make less to do our jobs so its not fair?? I have to worry about paper cuts, and hot coffee at my office. Perspective please. It is rumored that these cuts will make our PD a reactive force rather than a pro-active force. I see our officers doing a great job of enforcement, education, and prevention. If you like those services now, support them and write the city council. If you could do without those services, I encourage you to write the city council as well. They will not read your letter into the record without your full name, no hiding behind an alias like you can here.
Jeff Frye | Jul 29, 2010 11:44 am | 1 replies | Request removal

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Re: police service
Great post. No amount of money is sufficient for the things we ask police officers to do for us. I am sure they make good money, but they could earn a years salary in a moment....if they survive.
The Truth | Jul 29, 2010 4:30 pm | Request removal

are you kidding me!!
We live in a time where layoffs and the unemployment rate are the predominant news stories. The economic forecast is bleak and people are arguing over which jobs should be cut. Even increasing the number of traffic citations written over the past few years is not enough to restore lost revenue.
It seems to me that the last thing the City of Monroe needs is to cut officers. Wasn't Monroe one of the cities in the nation that was home to alleged members and associates of one of the notorious drug cartels in Mexico, La Familia?
I'm wondering why the line officers are being cut, when the administration, which has been criticized as being "top heavy"�, is not affected. When push comes to shove, it should be the mid managers that go. Monroe is a small department. Why is there a need for a deputy chief? Why do they need an administrative director and an administrative manager, to oversee 7 people? These positions are very well compensated, in fact, some of the highest paid in comparison to other departments. Council should be getting the answers to those questions rather than laying off officers.
Police officers in Monroe are trained very well and they are a large investment for the City. For this police administration to even suggest that they can afford to lose officers is a slap in the face to the citizens of Monroe. When a crime is reported, it's not those desk jockeys that are responding and putting their lives in danger, make the cuts where they have the least impact on the citizens, who are paying for the service!
There does need to be cuts made to the Police Department, but you need to cut the fat not the muscle.
RU 4REAL | Jul 28, 2010 11:58 am | 8 replies | Request removal

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Re: are you kidding me!!
I agree. Take a look at this:
City of Monroe has a Chief, Deputy Chief, Administrative Commander, Adminstrative Manager, Ops Commander and 6 Sergeants = 11 Management Level Positions
Mill Creek (similar size city) has a Chief, Commander, Support Svcs Manager, 2 Sergeants and 3 Acting Sergeants = 8 Management Level Employees. Difference = 3. Assuming an average salary of $90,000 + benefits you've just solved the financial problems and saved the officers.
Concerned Citizen | Jul 28, 2010 12:32 pm | Request removal

Re: are you kidding me!!
We need to make sure we are reporting the facts accurately, or as accurate as the city wants us to know. The Operations Commander position was moved to a Sergeant level. The commander position was non-union, when it was removed that person became a Sergeant. I find the timing suspect as it coincides with layoffs. The management position is protected and leaves the citizens vulnerable by a patrol officer being laid off. They get to keep management at a higher ratio than needed per employees supervised. Checkmate Monroe...your top heavy PD remains.
RU 4REAL | Jul 28, 2010 12:57 pm | Request removal

Re: are you kidding me!!
Ok, if the commander had protection under civil service (I'm assuming) to his old Sergeant's position - then the Sergeant was either laid off or took back his police officer position - where-as an officer should have been let go. Did that happen? The Administrative Commander and the Adminsitrative Manager are non-rep and, I believe, don't have protection as they were never an officer or sergeant. Thus, their positions are open for review since an officer wouldn't get bumped. Is that a stalemate or a checkmate?
Concerned Citizen | Jul 28, 2010 1:05 pm | Request removal

Re: are you kidding me!!
Sergeants are not command level personnel. They are supervisors. When you look properly you find there are three command level officers in each department. One Chief, One Deputy Chief and One Admin Director. There is no current Operations Commander in Monroe and the position is not funded (layoff, Loss) however you want to look at it. I don't think any employees from public safety should be on the block as it is the number one priority of any government. They want you to fight among yourselves. Sergeant's make nearly as much as a Commander in Monroe anyway so if you are talking just savings who knows. Once again, the City Council, who got us in this mess needs to buck up and find other cost savings or raise rates so they actually cover costs. Cudo's for getting rid of the payment to the YMCA.
The Truth | Jul 28, 2010 2:01 pm | Request removal

Re: are you kidding me!!
If what your saying is correct, 11 supervisor positions for 23 officers? That's about 2 officers per supervisor? There must be something missing in this. If the Unions are really about union ethics then they should object to the Mayor or Council giving up pay. Isn't that the union motto "If you do the work, you should get the pay?"
Northwest32 | Jul 28, 2010 4:30 pm | Request removal

Re: are you kidding me!!
You sound like an officer in Monroe who fears for his job. I have an idea. Why don't you guys do what the rest of the world does. Tighten your belts and even consider pay cuts. I worked at a job where everyone in the dept took a 10% pay cut to avoid laying one person off. If you guys did that, no one would have to go. So instead of complaining, come up with a solution. And no, I do not believe Police are a sacred cow. Cutting the YMCA was a worse evil than cutting police. YMCA is a place for kids to go and stay out of trouble. It gives those kids a chance to stay away from drugs and alcohol and crime. While police deal with the symptoms (arresting people), YMCA deals with the cause. A much better line of thinking. Just like the war on drugs. They lock everyone up, but rarely treat anyone. You want to reduce crime, deal with it upstream not at the point of crime.
Flawed Perspective | Jul 28, 2010 10:48 pm | Request removal

Re: are you kidding me!!
The YMMCA contract had to be cut. How can the City justify cutting police and pay for free classes which when averaged out by the number of actual City residents who used them, cost way more than an entire membership for a month. YMCA Over Cops? Seriously? The last time I had to call 911 the YMCA didn't respond.
Northwest32 | Jul 29, 2010 1:34 am | Request removal

Re: are you kidding me!!
@Flawed Perspective. Your name says it all. You are flawed. In fact, very flawed. I hope if/when you house gets broken into, you remember these heinous comments you are making. The YMCA is over-rated. The tax payers are paying for a program that is waste of time and money. I am glad they cut the YMCA. If you want to have the ability to use such a facility, do what most honest, hard working citizens do. Get a job, pay for the dues out of your own pocket and enjoy it. Society needs to quit relying on Cities and Goverment to bail them out. The residents of the City of Monroe are no exception. With less police force, the community as a whole is going to suffer. We already have a major gang and drug problem. I suggest you stop living in clouded pipe dream of a world and realize everything is not rainbows and roses.
Betsy Ross | Jul 29, 2010 12:27 pm | Request removal

Monroe may cut police
Reduce their pay, plain and simple. They are overpaid, PUBLIC SERVANTS not PUBLIC MASTERS like they think they are. I don't need 911, I pack and am perfectly capable of protecting myself. Grow a spine, people! Learn to defind yourself insead of calling 911 for every situation you encounter. Bunch of pansies in the Pacific Northwest.
B L | Jul 29, 2010 10:34 am | 1 replies | Request removal

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Re: Monroe may cut police
You are a moron. You probably voted for Obama too.
Betsy Ross | Jul 29, 2010 11:25 am | Request removal

UNIONS
Unions and their greed are destroying our cities, our schools and our manufacturing. When is the public going to get smart and kick them out?
Terry Miller | Jul 28, 2010 9:35 pm | 1 replies | Request removal

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Re: UNIONS
I dont always agree with the Unions, but companies like Microsoft and Google don't pay great benefits and wages to their employees out of the goodness of their hearts. They don't want their employees to be Union. It's the pendelum of politics Govt. workers have to avoid. So their all but forced to Unionize. If Government officials treated their employees better I'm sure they wouldn't need a Union.
Northwest32 | Jul 29, 2010 1:40 am | Request removal

How about
In japan, the mayor and chief would be expected to take pay cuts.
Rainer Elliott | Jul 28, 2010 3:27 pm | 0 replies | Request removal

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