THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, May 9, 1995 TAG: 9505090251
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B10 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: STAFF REPORT
DATELINE: CHESAPEAKE LENGTH: Short : 32 lines
Calling for a new level of fiscal restraint in internal spending on personnel, the City Council on Monday proposed chopping $1.5 million from the proposed $402 million operating budget.
In a work session one day before the city is scheduled to adopt its yearly budget, Vice Mayor Robert T. Nance urged major reductions in what he called ``nonessential'' expenses. He proposed cutting the city staff's overtime budget in half, cutting car allowances by 70 percent and cutting the budget for replacing city vehicles by 90 percent.
Top officials from various city departments expressed shock at Nance's targets, which range from dues and subscription costs to spending for new office equipment.
Council members voiced bipartisan support for Nance's proposal and sharply criticized recommendations for cuts that City Manager James W. Rein offered last week.
That list called for $2.3 million in savings by scaling down or eliminating some city services, including trash collection, community-based policing and subsidies for maintaining ball fields.
KEYWORDS: CHESAPEAKE CITY COUNCIL OPERATING BUDGET by CNB