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<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />Office of the Mayor <br /> <br />NEWS RELEASE <br />August 14, 2009 <br />EMBARGOED UNTIL: 11:00 a.m. <br /> <br />City’s cuts may restore Fire Department to full strength <br /> <br />Contact: <br />Mikki Dobski, Director of Communications & Special Projects, 235-5855 or 876-1564 <br /> <br />Mayor Stephen J. Luecke today announced that a review of the City’s proposed 2010 <br />budget suggests that, because of deep cuts made by other City departments, the Fire <br />Department may be able to restore its staffing to full strength. <br /> <br />Luecke and outgoing Controller Catherine Fanello re-examined the 2010 budget after the <br />completion of the South Bend Common Council’s budget hearings for all City <br />departments. Their review found that more extensive cuts by several City departments – <br />including Administration & Finance, Code Enforcement, Legal and the Mayor’s Office – <br />may enable the Fire Department to fully staff needed firefighters and paramedics. <br /> <br />The Fire and Police departments returned to a second hearing today before the South <br />Bend Common Council to review the numbers for the public safety departments. The <br />Council previously reviewed proposed budgets for both departments on July 29. But the <br />combination of the newly enacted Public Safety Tax and a federal stimulus grant received <br />that day by the Police Department prompted a need for a second review. <br /> <br />Fanello said the ability to restore Fire Department staffing levels also is enabled by <br />revised revenue projections, based on final 2008 property tax receipts. But she warned <br />that the latest figures are still based on revenue projections and subject to revision if the <br />impact of the 2009 tax caps is greater than anticipated. In addition, property tax revenue <br />is expected to decline in the 2011 budget year by more than $3 million. <br /> <br />Preserving public safety was among the top priorities expressed by residents in a public <br />opinion survey and in town hall meetings earlier this year on essential government <br />services. In the Council’s previous budget hearing, the Fire Department would have <br />benefited from an additional $3 million generated by the Public Safety Tax, which would <br />have enabled maintaining its current level of 240 firefighters. But the department’s <br />budget still faced a $1.35 million shortfall compared with 2008, meaning eight currently <br /> <br />