Ottawa mayor's budget trim plan gets mixed reviews

Saving money on City of Ottawa staff salaries is feasible, but freezing the police budget may not be, say critics of Mayor Larry O'Brien's new plan to balance the budget.

On Thursday, O'Brien revealedhis cost-cuttingideastosolve a $95-million budget shortfall,but saidafterward that he will need help from council to get those measures into the budget.

'I don't think the whole board is in favour of the zero per cent. I think some of the members are figuring that might be a bit too hard.' Police services board memberBob Monette

Coun. Bob Monette, who sits on the city's police services board, said he's in favour of Larry O'Brien's suggestion to freeze the police budget at last year's level and save $10 million, but it may not beachievable.

"I don't think the whole board is in favour of the zero per cent," he said. "I think some of the members are figuring that might be a bit too hard."

Coun. Maria McRae, who is also on the board, said 85 per cent of the police budget is made up of salaries. She said she has raised the issue of trying to reduce police overtime costs, but she will not support a police budget that hurts front-line services.

Meanwhile, O'Brien's proposal to save $10 million to $15 million by leaving vacant city jobs that have been unfilled for six months is feasible, said city manager Kent Kirkpatrick.

"We believe that management can continue to run the services with less flexibility in the overall compensation envelope."

Whether the idea is feasible or not, Coun. Alex Cullen does not support it.

"People expect that we make sure those jobs are filled," he said Thursday.

'[Spending the surplus is] not sustainable. That just creates a $20 million hole for 2008.' Coun. Alex Cullen

Nor did he support O'Brien's proposal to uselast year's surplus to balance this year'sbudget.

"That's not sustainable. That just creates a $20 million hole for 2008," he said.

He added that part of the surplus occurred because there hasn't been much snow this winter, reducing snow-clearing costs, and it needs to go into reserve for years when the city gets lots of snow.