Lansing budget proposal would cut police, fire positions

Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero introduced his 2012 city budget to the Lansing City Council last night. The budget includes an estimated $20 million deficit caused by declining property values and proposed cuts in state revenue sharing.

To close that budget hole, Bernero’s “worst case” budget plan proposes eliminating as many as 78 positions from the police department and 71 from the fire department, reports the Lansing State Journal. The proposal would also cut millions in road repair funds, close three fire stations and scale back on housing and code compliance officials.

Bernero has backed a May 3 ballot move to increase property taxes. That proposal would raise nearly $4 million for the city’s general fund. That could lead to some police and fire officials coming back to the job, he says.

In a press statement released before Bernero addressed the city council, Bernero had this to say about his budget:

“We find ourselves in a serious predicament, one not of our own making,” Bernero said. “We are fortunate that the most profound economic crisis this state has endured since the Great Depression has not hit Lansing as hard as many others. But make no mistake, even as we see unmistakable signs that our recovery is finally underway, the worst impacts of the national economic meltdown are only now finding their way to the bottom line of our city budget.”

Bernero says he will seek unspecified concessions from the city’s union workers. Such concessions could include things like furlough days for the non-emergency workers of city hall.

The proposed budget is the smallest since 2001, and represents a 9.2% reduction from the fiscal year 2011 adopted budget.