Rio Vista begins process of repairing budget

Rio Vista begins process of repairing budget
http://www.dailyrepublic.com/story.php?id=101.7

City leaders will pursue budget cuts and other steps designed to cover a looming deficit and stave off bankruptcy. The City Council on Tuesday met to discuss the situation. It endorsed ideas to deal with an $800,000 deficit in the $5 million General Fund budget for the fiscal year ending June 30. 'We basically directed a recovery plan,' Mayor Eddie Woodruff said Wednesday. Among the goals is to have one-day work furloughs for employees each two-week pay period, reduce overtime, freeze vacant positions, sell some city properties, ask employees to pay more for benefits and pass sewer rate increases, he said. 'There are some things we'll probably need agreement on from the employee groups,' Woodruff said. Sewer rate increases are a controversial issue, with some citizens objecting to previous city proposals. A majority of property owners are able to overturn whatever the council might pass. The council has grappled with the issue for months. Rio Vista has $1.1 million in savings, Woodruff said. Of that, he said $475,000 will go to cover last year's budget shortfall and roughly $300,000 will go toward this fiscal year's shortfall. Woodruff will step down as mayor in a couple weeks but wanted the council to address the budget problem before he left..