Proposed UP Budget Shrinks .5 Percent
Through personnel reductions, reduced health insurance costs, and a lowering in retirement system contributions, the proposed FY 2012 budget for University Park outlines a .5 percent reduction in expenditures.
The budget — released Friday — proposes a $215,259 change over the FY 2011 budget, from $43,242,989 down to $43,027,730. And while some parts of the local economy — property values and city investment, especially — continue to lag, sales tax revenue and building permit revenues have buoyed the city’s coffers.
To save additional money, the city will not fill an open $108,000-per-year firefighter salary, or a parks custodian position.
We’ll probably touch upon some more of the budget stuff in the coming weeks — the city will hold public hearings on the subject Aug. 23 and Sept. 6 — but I just wanted to whet your whistle. As soon as the city puts the document online, I’ll link to it.
$108,000 for a firefighter? Is that the going norm these days?
I wish the federal government could reduce its budget. Good job UP.
@ Gringo Bling
Base pay for a firefighter averages $67,000. The $108,000 figure accounts for the employee’s insurance package (workers compensation, liability), social security, retirement fund costs etc.