Monona Joins the Crowd with a Budget Shortfall

This past week, the City Administrator advised the finance committee and department heads that the city has about a $75,000 budgetary shortfall in 2009. He directed the following steps to makeup the shortfall, including one day of furloughs:

In order to address the 2009 budget shortfall, several cost-saving measures have been discussed which should result in a $75,000 cost savings for 2009. This cost savings is equal to the 2009 budget shortfall. Details of how these measures affect each department will be discussed individually with each department head in the near future.

Along with the above-mentioned department-specific measures, the following measures will also be implemented:

1. A spending freeze for all non-essential expenditures for the remainder of 2009. All expenditures for the remainder of 2009 must be approved by Pat and Marc.

2. An across-the-board furlough for all salaried and hourly employees (except Fire Department employees) equal to one day or shift. The furlough day has been scheduled for Friday, September 4, 2009 (all city facilities will be closed that day with the exception of the Police and Fire Departments.) Instead of the Sept. 4 furlough day, all police staff members will be required to take one furlough shift sometime during the month of September, 2009. Our City Attorney will be informing all of our labor unions of the furlough.

Please don’t hesitate to call or meet with either of us with any questions. Feel free to share this information with your staff.