Des Moines proposes 4 job cuts for next year

Des Moines plans to cut four city jobs, adjust ambulance fees and increase fees for some building permits and inspections to eliminate a $400,000 deficit in the fiscal year ahead.

Three of the positions are vacant: a park planner post and two administrative jobs with the police department.

The fourth is an office position shared between the Park and Recreation Department and City Clerk's office.

The plan is subject to revisions with ongoing budget discussions taking place through February. Officials presented the 2015-16 budget plan at a town hall meeting last week, saying the impact on city services would be minimal.

"We will not be touching sworn police officers or firefighters," City Manager Scott Sanders said. "It might involve waiting in line longer for a permit or something of that nature."

The projected deficit of $405,000 is minimal compared with deficits in recent years. Des Moines has cut roughly $30 million over the past seven years, according to Dan Ritter, interim finance director for the city.

Several parks and trails advocates at the town hall meeting raised concerns about a series of recent cuts to the Park and Recreation Department.

Since 2008 the department's staff has been reduced by nearly 45 percent. It now has 80 employees. A large part of the reduction came when the city began contracting mowing and custodial services.

"We're worried about the continued cuts," Friends of Des Moines Parks member Michael Eberle said.

Eberle said he's concerned about the city relying too much on volunteers and donations — such as the more than $160,000 his group raised this year.

"We've added trails, we've added parks, so there's more to do," Park and Recreation Board member Paula Feltner said.

Park and Recreation Director Ben Page said the next couple of years will focus on improving and revitalizing neighborhood parks. The city maintains 76 city parks.

The four job cuts would save the city $210,000, according to Ritter.

The budget plan proposes saving another $265,000 through increased permit and inspection fees ($100,000), adjusted ambulance fees ($100,000), electronic vendor payment changes ($50,000) and adjustments to Des Moines Water Works health care plans ($15,000).

Councilman Skip Moore said he's generally pleased with the outlook for fiscal year 2015, which begins July 1.

"I feel as though Scott (Sanders) is doing a very good job with it," Moore said.

He said his primary concern is a statewide overhaul of the commercial property tax structure that is expected to reduce local tax revenue by tens of millions of dollars over the next 10 years in Des Moines.

For the upcoming year, the state committed to backfill that revenue loss in Des Moines with a $5 million contribution. But Moore expressed concern about that money disappearing in the future.

"Everything is subject to change. Legislators could get together at the start of the year and pass something that changes everything," he said.