Lorain/Elyria, OH
Elyria Council passes mayor’s budget
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Plan likely to impact safety services
ELYRIA — It seemed like they had only just sat down Thursday night when City Council members started to stand up again.
“That’s it?” someone muttered from the back of the room.
The special budget meeting — which drew a crowd of angry residents wanting answers — had lasted five minutes.
When it was all said and done, the city’s 2008 budget passed 6-4. Council members Garry Gibbs, R-3rd Ward, Mark Craig, I-4th Ward, Larry Tanner, D-1st Ward, and Kevin Krischer, I-5th Ward, opposed it.
Council President Ken Burkhard, D-7th Ward, said there was no discussion about the controversial budget because Council had had three prior meetings about it and officials should have already done all their homework.
“This document is going to change,” he said after the meeting adjourned. “But in order for this city to move forward, we needed to pass this tonight. We were out of time.”
The state requires Elyria to hand over the year’s operating projections by March 31, but many in attendance still felt that Thursday’s vote was rushed.
“It was a miscarriage of justice,” said resident Jim Slone, who expected to hear some debate about money for Elyria firefighters. “They didn’t want to discuss that. That’s why this mayor needs to go. He orchestrated this whole budget.”
Like many others, Slone was upset about Mayor Bill Grace’s recent proposal to permanently close the Broad Street fire station to save money.
Debbie Spangenberg, a secretary at the Broad Street station, said that issue has firefighters angry. They feel like every time there’s a money crunch in Elyria, their department gets scaled back, she said.
Firefighter Chuck Smalley said the city’s fire stations are dangerously understaffed. While Elyria’s charter calls for a roster of 88 firefighters, there are only 64 working at this time, he said.
That means there are only 14 firefighters responding to emergency calls, said Dean Marks, president of the Elyria firefighter’s union. Meanwhile, the National Fire Protection Agency says no fewer than 15 firefighters should be called to a house fire, he said.
Closing one more station to shore up the leaky budget isn’t going to solve that problem, Marks said.
“I know it can be black and white when you look at a budget, but it’s not black and white when you go on a fire call,” he said. “We know there’s not much money and we’re trying to do more with less, but we’re really doing less with less. There’s nothing more we can do with what we have.”
Marks said he wanted to address the Council with his concerns, but Burkhard pushed the vote through.
If he had been given time to speak, Marks said, he would have told Council the budget doesn’t count the savings from seven seasoned firefighters who will retire this year and who will be replaced with newer, less-expensive employees.
He said he also would have pointed out that he thinks it will be more expensive in the long run to replace firefighter dispatchers with civilian dispatchers, which is another cost-savings suggestion from Grace.
Others talking after the meeting asked why there are so many white-collar employees in Grace’s office during such trying financial times.
“We’re essential services. When there are so few of us to cover a fire, why do you have to have so many administrators working 9 to 5?” said firefighter Brett Bevan. “That’s just micromanaging. Trim the fat.”
Krischer, who voted against the budget, said he agrees, and he would be happy to see at least one assistant safety service director position cut from Elyria’s payroll.
“I like our safety service directors as people,” he said. “It’s just that with a budget like ours you have to cut somewhere and you can’t get things done by cutting the people out working on the streets.”
Contact Jason Hawk at 329-7148 or jhawk@chroniclet.com.
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Dear Editor,
First let me say that I am a 62 year old life long resident and second generation Elyria resident. If you add up all the taxes my family line has paid to Elyria for the schools, roads, government buildings, etc.; I believe we should own half of Elyria by now! I have sat back and not said a word about all the local politics and issues (even that whole Matt Lundy here again- gone again, stepping stone issue), but I can not be quiet any longer. I am tired of my City being a trailer trash joke and abused by people who don’t live here or care about anything other than how they can use Elyria to profit!
Answer me this – What in all we hold righteous is going on with our Building department? Has this department been turned into Para-military counter insurgent assault patrol that should be patrolling the streets of Iraq instead of Elyria? Has this city suddenly sunk into the depths of depravity or is Mr. Klein using this Exterior Maintenance Code to fund the Building department and pay and justify his currently unneeded position and his inflated salary? Why would the Mayor appoint this Mr. Jerry Klein fellow who already retired from the City as head of the Building department to Assistant Safety Service Director and then to Assistant Building Official when there have been no new permits for even one new house this year? Why would he let him attack our long time citizens using their houses and rental properties when these residents have empty wallets, due to tight times? Aren’t we all just trying to survive these days? I know all the city budgets are tight just like ours at home are, but to let him attack our loyal (voting) citizens is a terrible tragic abuse of power and an injustice to what this great city was founded on. When times get better these residents will repair their houses just like I have seen many times over all the years I have lived here in Elyria.
Why is Mr. Klein even working here again? He retired several years ago and once again has come back to grab more of our tax dollars, this being his third time on our dime! In my book that makes him a triple dipper at our expense. I understand Mr. Klein works for the City of Grafton too, let them support him. How many jobs does he need? Is their no limit to his greed and our stupidity by hiring him again and again? Can’t we find anyone just as good that isn’t constantly retiring and doesn’t cost so much. I know money is tight in the Building Department and the City too, so why are we paying to keep this person on? If we cut him loose maybe we could get a younger person who would need and appreciate the job for his family and also cost us less. Mr. Klein’s pay then could be used to not lay off deserving City employees or conduct combat patrols under the Exterior Maintenance Code, or the money could be used to loan out to citizens with housing issues, so Mr. Klein doesn’t cite them to Court. I hope this is read by enough concerned citizens and local politicians so Elyria gets back on the right course of working with and taking care of all tax paying residents and start letting jobs go to people that deserve them not triple dipping scavengers! Right on City Council, save our city and throw out the trash!
Sincerely,
Silent no more
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It sounds to me like the Mayor of the city of Elyria does not value the homes, lives and safety of the residents of the city. When someone’s property is on fire, and there are no firemen or fire trucks to respond, is the Mayor going to go put out the fire? Is he going to save the life of someone who is trapped in a car or structure that is on fire, because the fire department has to respond from too far away to get there in time to help?
Firemen risk their personal safety every day at FULL STAFF. What is the mayor saying about the lives of the firemen that protect his city when he put their lives in greater danger by short staffing them by over a third of the REQUIRED staffing levels and stated by the city? The National Fire Protection Agency publishes limits to protect everyone from danger, yet the Mayor continues to undercut the staff.
I wouldn’t want to be a resident of the Heights area if there is a fire. The Mayor has just said your area is not important to him by closing the fire station that protects you and your families. And everyone else in the city…there are less fire trucks and firemen to help you.
Looks a like a giant sign has just been posted when you enter the city of Elyria…”Enter at your own risk”. Doesn’t everyone want to move to a city that has no protection and puts your tax money to use for their own agendas?
Many thanks to all the firemen of the city of Elyria. Thank you for your dedication and hard work everyday!
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I don’t think that the residents knew the ‘rough road’ signs through Elyria were talking about the ’state of the city’ in addition and not just the road conditions…
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I can’t believe the Chronicle zapped my post. Is someone there related to the mayor and didn’t like what I had to say or what????
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I’m sorry Chronicle! My post was under Mayor: Closure means budget savings. So sorry for my confusion.
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