Public safety escapes most proposed budget cuts

The proposed city budget includes cuts totaling more than $270 million, including elimination of the after-school program, slashed library hours, elimination of the service counter at the Pecos Park Community Center, less park and street maintenance, rotating closures of city pools, cuts to the ALEX schedule, 1,200 positions being eliminated and much more.

But that is a drop in the bucket compared to the increased cost of living or personnel costs the police and fire departments would normally have received.

So, to make ends meet, the police are going to end up holding at least 250 positions unfilled and will be cutting helicopter flight hours, eliminate 32 currently vacant civilian support positions, and reduce staffing in some bureaus and details.

But, in the end, it should not affect the first responders to 911 calls, said Cmdr. Dave Faulkner, who commands the 107-square-mile South Mountain Precinct, which includes all of Ahwatukee Foothills.

"The essential services, which I'm responsible for, will not change," said Faulkner, who lives in Ahwatukee Foothills.

Jill Celaya, a fiscal manager with the police, said patrol vacancies will be kept to a minimum, although some specialty details could see as many as 10 percent of the positions vacant to deal with the dramatic slide in revenues to the city.

"We are not going to hurt patrol ... that is the main mission of our department," Celaya said.

The department will monitor crime statistics and move officers and detectives around to deal with any changes, she explained.

Holding 250 vacancies in the department comes on the heel of voter-approved Proposition 1, which created a dedicated sales tax to pay for additional officers.

Celaya said that while that funding is also shrinking because of the slow economy, the department will be hiring new officers, but not as fast older ones retire, resulting in the 250 officer gap.

The drastic cuts come as Phoenix officials try to deal with a $250 million shortfall in the $1.1 billion general fund, which supports programs that can't pay for themselves, including parks, streets, libraries and public safety.

A public hearing to gather input and explain the proposed budget will be held Jan. 22 at the Pecos Park Community Center, 17010 S. 48th St., starting at 6 p.m. The Phoenix City Council plans to approve a final budget Feb. 3 with the cuts taking effect March 2.