[Durrann1984]

City expects layoffs and tax increases due to budget shortfall

VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) - The City of Vancouver says jobs will be lost and services will be cut as it faces a huge budget shortfall in 2010.

City Council has between now and December 15th to come up with a plan to deal with the $60 million budget gap, and that will include public consultations.

Many councillors point to the economy and a lack of revenue for the financial crisis, NPA Councillor Suzanne Anton says the deal reached with workers in 2007 is also to blame.

Mayor Gregor Robertson says part of the plan is to combine duplicate services within different departments. “We should be able to find efficiencies that way, and there are some layoffs involved, some of them may be retirements that we are able to have happen here, but we're looking at all these different options, city staff has a lot more homework to do.”

Robertson says city hall will do their best so taxpayers won't have to pay any more, but Anton believes a hike in property tax is almost certain.

City staff have submitted over 1,000 ideas on where the city might be able to save money.

[Lomac]

I wonder how high up the list "Accepting a pay cut" is...

The most expensive city in BC just got a little more expensive to live in. :lol

And friends from out of province wonder why I refuse to move into the city...

[MR_BIGGS]

Where I did my co-op in BC public service, we were so short staffed on front line staff, and the new ceo of our agency let go several middle managers for higher level executives. So salarys went from 65-85 range to 6 figures..Also, with offices in Vancouver, the people he hired were all from Victoria, so when the big staff meetings occured, all these people would come in from Victoria.

The general public would not be happy with how money was being spent..

[The Hype]

I work for the City of Vancouver, in Equipment Services, and things have already happened. Positions have been removed, a bunch of part time people have been let go, hours have been cut. It looks like just the tip of the iceberg too. I'm glad I've got some seniority on other people or I'd be more worried...

[Eatman]

Things just never look up for vancouver does it, seems like it's just bad news after bad news. Just not too long ago Translink was the concern, now it's this.

[StylinRed]

$60 million? they should just sell off a park to a developer ;)

[Meowjin]

lol bike lane

[Drift_Monkey]

Welcome to last year.

I'm surprised they haven't cut jobs and work hours earlier until now.

Any yes, another reason behind this is how and where they spend there money.

[Vansterdam]

shit..

[Gridlock]

Tell me this...how much of the shortfall is Olympics?

I cannot wait to see the final bill. Oh wait...I never will.

[hotjoint]

nothing new, im not surprised

[shenmecar]

LESS JOBS + INCREASE TAXES.

I ♥ Vancouver.

[misteranswer]

Tell me this...how much of the shortfall is Olympics?

I cannot wait to see the final bill. Oh wait...I never will.

They say half of it was the raises they gave everyone after the strike.

[bubba_g]

About time.........way too many people working for the government, at all levels. They are overpaid, lazy ass workers getting way too much in benefits and takes their sweet ass time to perform any task. Seen too many of them like that.

[rsx]

Fucking 2010 absolutely useless. It only benefits the wealthy!

[JesseBlue]

they should cut people starting from the top and not the bottom...they will definitely save money that way but good luck doing that...people on the top do diddly anyways and the people on the bottom are the ones suffering

[quasi]

Every other sector in North America has seen cutbacks and layoffs I don't see why the city should be any different. I agree that they should start at the top/middle management as well but since management is the one making decisions that's highly unlikely. I think some of the problem lies in the mindset of most of us, city job = safe.

[MR_BIGGS]

they should cut people starting from the top and not the bottom...they will definitely save money that way but good luck doing that...people on the top do diddly anyways and the people on the bottom are the ones suffering

That is so true. And the packages the people on top get when they retire....shocking...where i worked...front staff was hurting so understaffed..while there were so many middle managers and executives..

[The Hype]

About time.........way too many people working for the government, at all levels. They are overpaid, lazy ass workers getting way too much in benefits and takes their sweet ass time to perform any task. Seen too many of them like that.

Sounds like someone's a little jealous. That, or just drawing conclusions from a few lazy guys on the streets crews. If you could only see the work the garage turns out on night shift, you wouldn't be saying that.

I think some of the problem lies in the mindset of most of us, city job = safe

That was my thinking when I was first hired. When I started to find out what the Olympics were costing the city, and then the recession, my thinking changed to "Ahhh shit."

[Tapioca]

That is so true. And the packages the people on top get when they retire....shocking...where i worked...front staff was hurting so understaffed..while there were so many middle managers and executives..

I don't know where you worked, but I pay into my pension fund each pay cheque to the tune of approximately $100. In fact, our pension fund is self-sustaining and will imbue absolutely no cost to the taxpayer. I imagine other public sector pension funds are designed this way. Pick your arguments elsewhere.

To those who have worked in the public sector (only to later complain about overpaid workers), why did you leave?

[too_slow]

I don't know where you worked, but I pay into my pension fund each pay cheque to the tune of approximately $100. In fact, our pension fund is self-sustaining and will imbue absolutely no cost to the taxpayer. I imagine other public sector pension funds are designed this way. Pick your arguments elsewhere.

To those who have worked in the public sector (only to later complain about overpaid workers), why did you leave?

False. Have you consulted your Pension Plan Trustees on what the solvency ratio is, and what the unfunded liability of the Pension Plan is? Any 'short-commings' are indirectly paid by tax/rate (utility) hikes.

[Tapioca]

False. Have you consulted your Pension Plan Trustees on what the solvency ratio is, and what the unfunded liability of the Pension Plan is? Any 'short-commings' are indirectly paid by tax/rate (utility) hikes.

Yes, short-comings are indirectly covered by the employer.

However, as I am aware, our pension fund has been running a surplus to the tune of about $1 billion since 2000.

[JesseBlue]

^ they should just get the shortfall from your pension :D