Also on this page: Barrett boulevard budget booed by aldies. Neighborhood Services proposes end to property recording. $1 million cut for library acquisitions proposed Police eye staffing, service cuts. The $36 million gap.

City weighs tax intercepts for library fines

Oct. 31, 2004 -- The city is examining the possibility of collecting library fines and lost material charges through the state's tax intercept program, according to budget officials.

Ald. Michael Murphy said the cost of using the intercept program in most instances would be more than it would be worth, but added, "It depends on how big the fines are, obviously. We're to the point now where we are cutting library hours and the book budget. I think it's appropriate to look at all options to cut costs."

"We are always looking for new ways to protect our collections and use our funds in an efficient manner," said Patricia Kennedy, Milwaukee Public Library coordinator of circulation and public services. "The tax intercept program might be another approach, but it would only reach a limited number of patrons--those that are due a tax refund and whose refund is not already taken for other purposes," such as income taxes or child support. In addition, the state takes a 2 percent cut and administrative costs would have to be taken into account, she said.

Kennedy said it is hard to say how much in fines and charges are due the library "since the situation is constantly changing."

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Currently, she said, "cases being worked on total about 1,500 items valued at approximately $27,000."

The library already has several methods to encourage and coerce patrons to pay their fines and return materials, ranging from sending e-mail reminders to blocking library card use when charges hit $5 or billing for replacement costs.

"We employ two staff members who work on retrieving items and fines or replacement value," Kennedy said in an e-mail. Those two -- a library investigator and assistant -- are now working on about 150 cases.

The library investigator can write citations for people with the big outstanding fines and charges.

"At the moment, there are about 40 cases in which citations are being issued," she said. "Amounts due ranges from $300 to $2,500. This technique has been found to be very effective."

Barrett boulevard budget booed by aldies

Oct. 24 -- Mayor Tom Barrett's proposal to eliminate 30% of the city's boulevard annual flower beds was received frostily by a Common Council committee earlier this month.

“I do think the cuts are pretty severe when you cut out 30% of plantings of flowers,” said Ald. Michael Murphy, chairman of the council's Finance and Personnel Committee.

Murphy was skeptical of the administration's contention that it would seek private sector funding to pay for boulevard maintenance.

“I think the expectation that private sector would – it’s just not a sustainable option,” he said.

The Department of Public Works is proposing to eliminate 19,000 square feet of annual beds by grassing them over.

Aldermen get grief for caring too much about boulevards, said Ald. Michael D'Amato. Both he and Murphy said, however, that well-maintained boulevards can improve property values in a neighborhood.

“Tax dollars are meant for infrastructure and our boulevards are infrastructure and the only way to sustain them is to make yearly commitment to them,” D'Amato said.

Ald. Bob Donovan said Barrett's proposal to raise boulevard money from the private sector was an "excellent idea."

“I venture to say, the mayor could get on the phone to the right people and raise this money in a couple of days," he said. "He certainly was able to raise far more than that for his election.”

Neighborhood Services proposes end to property recording system

June 23 -- The Department of Neighborhood Services would significantly reduce property inspection services and eliminate the property recording system that tracks ownership of rental properties in the city, under its 2005 budget request.

The property recording system allows the city and residents to identify property owners to more quickly respond to issues and problems.

The department also would reduce nuisance abatement activities, end graffiti enforcement, and eliminate the code compliance program that requires some property purchasers to have exterior inspections conducted at the time of property sales.

The department’s budget for Neighborhood Improvement – which includes many residential enforcement and inspection activities, would drop $2.8 million, from $12 million to $9.2 million, according to the budget request.

“Other resources would have to be used to address exterior maintenance,” according to a budget document submitted by the department. “Zoning enforcement issues would take longer to responds to with the decreased staffing.”

The trades inspection budget – which funds commercial property activities -- would decrease $218,660, from $5.1 million to $4.9 million, according to the documents.

“Boiler inspection activities will be eliminated…elevator inspection activities will be eliminated,” the request says, adding “The state will be obligated to assume the responsibility of providing boiler and elevator inspectional service within the city. It is very difficult at this time to determine the service level the State will be able to provide.”

The budget request was based on a departmental allocation established by former Acting Mayor Marvin Pratt in an effort to hold down property taxes for 2005.

Joseph Czarnezki, budget director for Mayor Tom Barrett, said Tuesday that much of DNS is self-supporting through fees and charges for service, not property taxes. He said the actual cuts the department must accept will depend more on revenue estimates developed by the city comptroller’s office, an independent branch of city government.

That may not be entirely good new for DNS. The comptroller’s revenue estimate for the city in 2003 was $12 million lower than what actually was realized, Czarnezki said. And while the revenue estimate is up this year, “I still think it was, in my opinion, conservative.”

$1 million cut proposed for library acquisitions
Major cuts in hours also weighed

June 16 -- The Milwaukee Public Library would cut by $1 million the amount budgeted next year for buying library materials like books and videos, under the library's 2005 budget request.

MPL also is proposing a major reduction in hours of operation for the Central Library and most branches.

The acquisitions budget would drop from $2 million to $1 million, according to the budget request.

The proposal, which is likely to change as it is reviewed by Mayor Tom Barrett and the Common Council, demonstrates the difficult budget decisions that must be made as costs increase faster than revenue.

Earlier estimates show It would cost an estimated $36.4 million more next year to offer the same service levels as this year. Mayor Tom Barrett has promised to hold the property tax levy increase for next year to about $2.2 million.

"The 2005 Requested Budget reflects a reduction in hours open to the public," library officials wrote in their proposal. "The Central Library will be open 13 fewer hours per week and every branch, except Center Street, will be open 32 to 35 fewer hours per week. Center Street will maintain existing hours because it is funded with non-city dollars."

The request projects a 52% reduction in patron hours of computer use, from 625,000 hours budgeted for this year to 300,000 proposed for next year. The number of library visits per resident is expected to drop from 4.45 this year to 2.81 next year.

Those decreases are attributed to the proposed drop in hours and, in the case of computer usage, to improved methods of monitoring usage.

Police eye service, staff cuts
Hegerty has "grave misgivings" about budget proposal

June 13 -- There would be 471 police officer vacancies by the end of next year, under the Police Department budget request submitted with "great reluctance" by Police Chief Nannette Hegerty.

Some 198 officers would have to be laid off and there would be no 2005 recruit class, she said.

Hegerty's request included an $8.3 million budget cut to meet a budget allocation set by the mayor's office.

"Response to various types of calls will have to be be curtailed or eliminated," Hegerty wrote in a memo to Budget Director Joseph Czarnezki. "Response times will increase dramatically."

The chief said she has "grave misgivings" about the budget proposal and submitted it with "great reluctance."

"The Police Department cannot operate at its present level under this budget," Hegerty wrote.

Hegerty

Impacts of the budget proposal, Hegerty wrote, include lower crime clearance rates, lack of response to "quality of life" complaints, and long waits for residents seeking services at district stations.

While Barrett has said he hopes to preserve Police Department positions, there would have to be huge cuts elsewhere in the city budget if he wants to keep them all. The city is in a fiscal bind. It would cost an estimated $36.4 million more next year to offer the same service levels as this year, and Barrett has promised to hold the property tax levy increase for next year to about $2.2 million.

Hegerty said the department is reviewing potential service reductions including: