CALUMET CITY | The City Council on Thursday held a special meeting, with about one hour spent convening privately in the mayor's office and another spent publicly hashing out changes to the government payroll.
Some city agency positions were axed, while others went from full time to part time. Gas allowances were cut for many city workers, as were city-paid cellular telephones for all except certain employees of the police and fire departments.
City Council members also accepted some cuts, deciding they no longer will receive extra pay for attending special meetings. The result is a savings of $72,000 that would have gone to the seven aldermen, and $10,206 each that would have gone to the mayor and city clerk.
Michelle Markiewicz Qualkinbush said she was looking at these cuts more as saving money in future years by reducing the overall budget.
"I'm looking toward next year's budget just as much as I'm trying to save money in this year's budget," Qualkinbush said.
Among the positions that were eliminated were that of communications director, which had been receiving a salary of $52,563, but has been vacant since late last year.
Also cut was the position of inspectional services director, although that post, too, has been vacant. City Council members on Thursday officially merged the post with that of the city building commissioner, at a single salary of $67,578. Sixth Ward Alderman Nick Manousopolous said he thought the salary should be a bit higher because it was a combination of two jobs.
Some salaries were merely cut.
The health, youth & family services director's salary was reduced from $67,578 to $57,000, while the Office of Professional Standards director's salary was cut from $41,127 to $20,000, the same salary that the purchasing/personnel director will receive (cut from $52,563).
Also slashed were the hourly rates paid to the attorneys who do the city's legal business. The city attorney and corporation counsel now will be compensated at $160 an hour (compared to $185 an hour), while associates will bill the city at a rate of $150 an hour (down from $175 an hour).
Not that all proposed changes were approved. Qualkinbush had recommended cutting the salary of the Emergency Services and Disaster Agency director to $26,203.50, but the aldermen voted 7-0 to keep the salary at $29,115.
The aldermen voted 7-0 to give the mayor the ability to authorize the layoff of 11 full-time police officers. It is unclear if and when those layoffs will take place.
