City releases menu of budget cuts

Delaying the police officer cadet class and cutting back public library hours top the list of recommendations for Austin's shrinking city budget.

The city released 320-pages of recommendations from every department, which include $45 million worth of cuts.

Monday, city budget experts said the options do not include any employee layoffs, but eliminating positions is on the table.

The recommendations call for continuing to delay the Austin Police cadet class.  If the department delayed the class for a full year, it could save $5 million.

The proposal also calls for permanently reducing the police overtime budget, which would save $1.2 million.

Earlier today Police Chief Art Acevedo said his department will adapt to the cuts.

"Despite budget cuts, we continue to make more arrests, write more citations, and I think that overall it speaks volumes as to the commitment of the men and women with the Austin Police Department," said Acevedo.

The proposed cuts could raise the cost to patients who need an ambulance.  Right now, it costs $515 per ride.  The proposal calls for raising the cost to $800.

Another proposal calls for cutting costs by cutting library hours.  Libraries could open one hour later and close one hour earlier.  The city says those times are when the fewest number of people use public libraries.

The recommendations also call for cutting the library book budget by 10 percent, saving $1.2 million.

"Make no mistake, this budget is about everybody," said Austin City Manager Marc Ott.

Ott emphasized that no action has been taken on the recommendations yet.

"The citizens have a role to play in this, because at the end of the day they're the ones who are going to be impacted," Ott told reporters.

Citizens have the opportunity to speak out about the recommendations at a series of town hall meetings.  The first is scheduled for June 10 at the Northwest Recreation Center at 2913 Northland Drive.

All of the meetings are scheduled to start at 6:30 P.M.  

Here is a list of the upcoming budget town hall meetings:

June 10 - Northwest Recreation Center - 2913 Northland Drive (map)
June 15 - Gus Garcia Recreation Center - 1101 E. Rundberg Lane (map)
June 16 - Toney Burger Activity Center - 3200 Jones Road (map)