03-04-19 Personnel and Finance (Tax Caps/Impact)

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CITY OF SOUTH BEND I OFFICE OF THE CLERK Mr. Parker stated, I think that is a fabulous point because I think it goes in the conversation on what we are doing from an expenditure perspective. Because what it is, is an exercise in priority. It's making sure that not necessarily decreasing expenditures across the board, it's spending the right money in the right spot. There are a couple of ideas I want to put out here that we've had. As I mentioned earlier, you can't talk about operating expenditures without talking about personnel. It's fifty percent (50%) of our operating expenditures that are related to personnel. (Referring to the presentation), he stated, And there's the breakdown of our employees. Three (3) quarters of our employees are in Police, Fire, and Public Works and the last quarter is everyone else. This $86,780 is salary and benefits across the entire City. That is the average salary and benefit cost across the entire City. Then, you can see our fulltime employee trend over time, it is trending in the right direction,it's sort of a downward trend. From an expenditure perspective,that is the right direction. But over the past several years we have been right around that 1,140 mark. One (1) of the ideas, in addition to some of the more creative things that Councilmember Davis talked about earlier, is putting in place a soft hiring freeze.What that means is not that we won't hire anyone new,but when a person leaves their position through normal attrition,we will be doing a hard look at that position to see if we should re-hire. Does it fit for the currently priorities for that administration? Does it have a responsibility that could be reallocated to others? Is it better to have that particular position done by a volunteer or some other contract employee versus a regular employee? Doing a soft hiring freeze to really evaluate those positions as they come up. If it's an important need to accomplish our priorities, yes, we will re-hire for that position, but doing that assessment will be very key moving forward. Councilmember Davis asked, Will this be now, or be placed when? Mr. Parker answered, Yes, later in 2019. Councilmember Davis asked, Is this meaning that positions that have stepped down, they will not necessarily be a part of this review? Mr. Parker answered, This is looking at it from the Controller, Mayor's Office position to ask if, the particular position that is going to be retired, it is in line with the priorities of the entire government. Councilmember Davis asked, How soon can that be put in place? Do we have to wait until 2020? Mr. Parker answered, No, it will happen in the latter part of 2019 so that we can prepare as people are leaving to bring down to right size the number of employees that we have relative to the expenditures and programs that we have. Committeemember Voorde stated, I don't think this kind of analysis is foreign to us and that is why when it's proposed to start a South Bend Plan Commission for example, you have to look at it in terms of whatever the benefits are and the type of money that we will be spending. And that's why when it was first (1st) proposed a couple of meetings ago, you don't want to say that you are against it but you want the proponents to be able to justify the costs. Mr. Parker stated, Yes, and I think that the key word is prioritization. As we look at implementing new programs, if there's not a new sustainable funding source for that program,then where is that EXCELLENCE I ACCOUNTABILITY I INNOVATION I INCLUSION EMPOWERMENT 455 County-City Building 1227 W.Jefferson Bvld South Bend,Indiana 466011p 574.235.9221 f 574.235.9173 I I IU 574.235.5567 www.southbendin.gov 14