City budget proposal draws cautious optimism

A new proposal that may dilute a citywide pay cut is drawing differing reactions from public safety stakeholders.

Capt. Jason Campbell, president of the Lynchburg Fire Fighters Association, said he felt “very optimistic” about the school division’s recent offer that would, essentially, return $500,000 to the city.

“I think it’s good,” he said, adding he’s hopeful the money would be poured back into city salaries. “All of council has said if there’s a way to find more money, their first priority would be to put it back into employee pay. I hope they demonstrate that commitment.”

All city employees are slated to take a 3-percent pay cut in the new budget, which takes effect July 1. Public safety employees have been outspoken critics of those pending salary reductions.

Leecy Fink, the wife of a police officer and organizer of last month’s public safety rally, said she was taking a wait-and-see approach to this latest development.

“I just hope it goes into salaries and not something else,” she said, adding morale has been “very down” among public safety officers since the cuts were approved two weeks ago.

“But at the same time, they’re resolved to do their jobs, regardless,” she said.

Police Chief Parks Snead called the school board’s offer “interesting” and a “very nice gesture,” but otherwise offered little comment.

He said he would await the final recommendation of the city manager, who has said he needs to study the issue further to determine if this is a stable source of funding.

The Lynchburg School Board voted Tuesday to reduce its budget request by $500,000 after learning that an early retirement program introduced earlier this year was expected to create significant savings for the division.

Several council members have said that any returned funds should be funneled directly back into salaries. The sum specified by the schools could erase one-third of the pending pay cut. Reversing the full 3-percent cut would cost about $1.6 million.

Councilman Scott Garrett, who opposed the pay cuts during the budget process, called this a “no brainer.”

“City Council made a commitment to do what it could to restore faith in our valued city employees,” he said, referencing a pledge made by council that any additional money found during the year would be earmarked for salaries.

“Hopefully, people will agree this is the right message to send,” Garrett said, adding it would be “doubly bad” of council to renege now on its earlier promise.

Mayor Joan Foster said she expected council would support a restoration of pay if the additional money comes through.

“We’ve all stated, at one time or another, that this will be our first priority,” she said. “I know for me it’s the No. 1 priority.”

A majority of council still seems committed to restoring salaries uniformly for all employees.

Councilman Jeff Helgeson said he would continue to advocate giving priority to public safety officers. He argued that point during the city’s budget deliberations, but generated no support from the rest of council.

Helgeson has said repeatedly during his time in office that he feels the local schools are over-funded. Several other council members, including Garrett and Foster, said they felt it would be a mistake to paint the current situation as evidence of over-funding.

Members specifically said these recent savings were an unusual occurrence sparked by a retirement incentive not offered before. They said it did not reflect on the efficiency of the school division’s usual financial operations.