4-day week among city's cost saving measures

In an attempt to head off an increase in resident property taxes, the city of Crestview will implement a four-day work week beginning Oct. 6.

City offices will operate Monday through Thursday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. and will be closed on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.

Employees will work four 10-hour days, arriving at work an hour earlier and working an hour later during the shortened work week.

Some departments, such as police and fire, will have to make adjustments to ensure round-the-clock coverage, City Clerk Janice Young said.

The revised work hours were one of several budget reductions recommended by city department heads to make up for an anticipated $3 million shortfall in the city’s general revenue funds during the next fiscal year that begins Oct. 1.

Members of the Crestview City Council unanimously approved the recommended budget cuts at a Friday evening meeting at City Hall.

The intent of the recommendations is to keep the millage rate at its current rate of 5.846 mills. The final millage will be adopted following two public hearings on Sept. 8 and Sept. 22.

The approved budget reductions include:

• The elimination of several employee positions.

• Restructuring of some departments.

• Contracting out some city services.

• Reducing city contributions to employee family medical coverage.

• Requiring 80 hours of unpaid furlough for city employees.

Police Chief Brian Mitchell asked the council to reduce or eliminate the furlough days if the city’s budget improves during the next fiscal year.

“If some windfall comes up or we save some money, more than we thought, those furlough days would probably be priority for us,” Mitchell said.

Council member Bob Allen agreed to revisit the issue if the city’s budget improves.

The most contentious issues at the meeting were not among department heads’ recommendations and centered around proposals initiated by council Chairman Charles Baugh Jr. to contract out or reallocate services under Administrative Services Director Mike Wing.

The council agreed to:

• Contract out the city’s Animal Services division, which falls under Administrative Services, to PAWS, which was approved in a 3-2 vote, with council members Allen and Linda Parker dissenting.

“There a lot of people in the past, when we’ve explored the possibility of contracting with PAWS, we have heard extensively from the public about it and we will in this instance again, I’m sure,” Wing said.

Baugh said the move would save city taxpayers $123,000 a year.

The actual savings, after all adjustments during the budget process, is $56,400, Wing said Wednesday.

• Remove the Robert L.F. Sikes Library from under Administrative Services and let it operate as a separate city entity. In a unanimous vote, the council directed staff to bring back a resolution to that effect for approval. The proposal is revenue neutral and would not save nor cost the city money.

• Move the code enforcement division from Administrative Services to the police department. Baugh said the move will save $11,000 a year.

A proposal to move Leisure Services from Wing’s control and turn it over to Public Works failed, however.

Public Works director Wayne Steele said although he would make the move work, he has no experience with organized recreation.

“If in fact the council chooses to do this, the chances are I would probably go to Mr. Wing for answers a lot of times,” Steele said.

A proposal by Baugh to consider turning city dispatch duties over to the county also failed, in a 5-0 vote, with Baugh reconsidering his original position.

Baugh said Fire Chief Joe Traylor brought it to his attention that turning dispatch over to the county could result in “some dropped” dispatch calls and “maybe even possibly endanger some of our firefighters inside the building.”