Bowling Green officials say approval of a temporary tax increase on Nov. 3 will minimize service
reductions that will be imposed as early as Jan. 1.
Municipal Administrator John Fawcett said the city needs the 0.08-percent three-year temporary tax to
cover $600,000 of a projected $1 million general fund shortfall in 2010. The remainder of the shortfall
will be covered by shifting two bond payments to special funds.
“The downside (to that shift) is that the capital improvements fund, used for major investments and large
purchases (buildings, fire equipment and police cruisers) will have less money. We can probably do that
for a year without a major hardship. If that continues for two or three years it will place more stress
on equipment. We’ll have to keep a careful eye on equipment.”
Finance Director Brian Bushong said city income tax collections in 2009 have been running 5 to 6 percent
below 2008. He is not predicting a further decline for 2009 but Fawcett said the city is doing its
planning using a worst-case scenario.
If voters don’t approve the levy, Fawcett said there will be noticeable changes in fire protection,
elimination of school crossing guards, reductions in public works services, personnel changes and
reduction or elimination of city support for such things as July 4 fireworks.
Specific reductions:
• The minimum manning of fire shifts will be reduced from 12 to 11. The change would cut expenses $48,742
and mean that only ambulance response would be available from the Pearl Street station. Eight
firefighters would continue to staff the Court Street station but only three would be at Pearl. An
ambulance run requires three on board, Fawcett said, which means no one would be left to take a fire
truck out on another call. Ironically, the city will make its final debt payment ($106,000) on the Pearl
Street station in 2010.
• Regarding refuse, the yard waste drop off on East Poe Road would be closed, the city would no longer
fund the cost for residents to take brush to the landfill, one of two curbside brush pickups would be
eliminated and two of three heavy item curbside pickups would be eliminated. The lone brush pickup would
be in the spring and the lone heavy item pickup in May just after Bowling Green State University’s
spring commencement.
• There would be a hiring freeze and non-replacement of staff through attrition, retirement and
realignment of responsibilities. By the end of the year the city will have experienced a handful of
retirements and none of those spots have or will be filled. “Vacancies will remain vacancies unless it
is an extreme situation,” Fawcett said. This includes police and firefighters.
• Minimize landscaping and land maintenance on public properties.
City employees will begin picking up more of their medical insurance costs, and wage freezes that began
this year will continue. Reductions in seasonal employees will continue. For example, there were 20
seasonal employees in the public works department in July 2008 and six in July 2009.
Mayor John B. Quinn said projects funded by donations and outside sources of funds will continue. “At
Simpson Garden Park there are all kinds of trees and bushes being planted. That’s the result of a public
campaign and private donations.”
Other examples are the North Main Street paving project from Ridge Street to Dill Street that is being
paid for by federal stimulus money. The work will likely be done next spring. Reconstruction of North
Main from Dill Street to Newton Road is planned for 2011, with most of the cost being covered by federal
funds.
“I think we have done a better job than some around us to keep on top of the situation. We’ve been
meeting since March with council and the public and a lot more among ourselves,” Quinn said.
Fawcett said the city got serious about cutting in October 2008 when the 2009 budget was reduced by $1.8
million. Another $230,000 in reductions were taken shortly after Jan. 1. “We were about a year ahead of
many others in making those kinds of cuts,” Fawcett said.