Hollywood considers cutting more than 30 jobs

Hollywood commissioners heard hours of testimony at a budget hearing Monday night, including many employees who fear losing their jobs, as they tried to agree on a new city budget. Similar Stories: • Hundreds protest tax increases in Hollywood • Hollywood gives tentative OK to 13 percent tax-rate hike • Hundreds protest possible tax hike in Hollywood • Hollywood considers cutting more than 30 jobs • Hollywood Commission to attempt to lower tax rate BY AMY SHERMAN ASHERMAN@MIAMIHERALD.COM Hollywood city commissioners were poised to vote on a tax rate hike Monday night -- though it could be less of an increase than officials initially sought. The tax rates under consideration would lead to more than 30 layoffs out of the city's workforce of more than 1,500, but keep services such as park programs, hours at City Hall and garbage pickups intact. The city's final budget hearing drew more than 200 city workers and residents. Though at the first budget hearing last week several speakers chastised commissioners for planning to raise the tax rate, a larger segment of Monday's speakers were city workers who face layoffs. David Blum, a roofing inspector who fears losing his job, spoke about his dreams when he started with the city. ``I hoped to save some money and buy a home so I could become a resident of the city of Hollywood,'' he said. ``Today, almost three years later, I'm not so happy. I'm afraid. I'm afraid of losing my job. I will not be able to pay my bills without my job. I will not be able to buy a home and move into the city of Hollywood. '' Last week, commissioners set a tax rate at $6.44 per $1,000 of taxable assessed property value. But they directed the city staff to lower that amount by the final tax hearing by tapping more reserves and making other cost shifts. On Monday, commissioners considered a 2009-10 tax rate of $5.99 -- an increase in the rate of about 5 percent compared to this year's. Commissioners discussed the tax rate and spending late into the night. Though at least a couple of them expressed interest in asking some union workers to agree to a pay cut or furlough, that would require reopening negotiations -- something that simply couldn't take place at City Hall Monday night. One option: a tax rate of $6.02 that would limit the number of layoffs to about 13. But the layoffs may not happen for a few months, leaving the unions time to come up with proposals to save jobs. At the $5.99 rate, homesteaded residents who live in a home with a $275,000 market value and have lived there at least 10 years would pay about $82 more for the city portion of their taxes. Residents who bought within the past few years with the same market value home today would see a drop of about $327. School district, Broward County, hospital district and other agencies' levies are additional. Though some commissioners said tax increases would be minimal, Mayor Peter Bober said taxpayers also face increases in the city's fire fee, homeowners' insurance and other costs. ``We are not the only taxing entity on peoples TRIM notices,'' Bober said, referring to the tax notices sent out by the county. The tax increases or decreases are on top of an expected increase in the annual fire fee to $159 from $109 and the already-approved water and sewer service hike that resulted in an increase of about $14.50 per month for the average homeowner. Some residents and business owners have asked city officials to avoid any tax or fee increases. ``You will be pushing many people over the edge,'' said Richard Clavet, owner of Richard's Motel, 1219 S. Federal Hwy. ``The proposed increase of taxes and fees will push many people out of their businesses and homes.'' Due to the public outcry, Hollywood is expected to retain an animal-control officer position that had been slated to be cut. City Manager Cameron Benson did not propose laying off police officers or firefighters -- in fact, next year's budget is likely to include filling some vacant positions in those departments. Most employees who will lose their jobs are members of the AFSCME union, which represents general employees, professional and supervisory employees. Several dozen members of the union have turned out at meetings. These city workers make residents' lives better, said George Tucker, attorney for AFSCME. ``When you get up in the morning to take a shower and turn that water on, we do that,'' he said. ``When you go to the parks with your child and play sports we mow those lawns, we draw those lines.'' Earlier this summer, commissioners approved contracts with city unions that included some concessions but also pay raises -- for example, up to 8 percent for some police officers. Several taxpayers have questioned the pay and benefits for police and firefighters. But Jeff Marano, senior vice president of the Police Benevolent Association, described the sometimes deadly -- and often gruesome -- jobs those workers perform. ``They treat people you wouldn't even want to touch,'' he said, referring to paramedics. Some taxpayers have suggested that commissioners were reluctant to force larger concessions during negotiations because they wanted the unions' campaign endorsements. Mayor Peter Bober denied that. He said the unions endorsed his opponent, former Mayor Mara Giulianti. ``I was the last person in the world unions wanted to see get elected,'' he said in an interview with The Miami Herald. Some cuts are a result of an efficiency study that led Benson to suggest combining some departments and shedding jobs that are no longer needed, such as shrinking the building department since development has slowed.