FORT WORTH -- City Council members chewed over the details of an assortment of issues as they moved through a two-day annual budget retreat last week.
Mayor Betsy Price set the tone by telling council members they needed to propose spending reductions if they wanted to add items.Here's a snapshot of some of the discussions:Arts fundingThe proposed $583 million general fund budget includes a 25 percent cut in funding, to $799,691, for the Arts Council of Fort Worth & Tarrant County, which uses the money for grants to local organizations.Councilman Joel Burns didn't propose an immediate spending cut, but he noted that council members heard from arts supporters last week. "I'd sure like to figure out a way to maybe reduce that cut," he said."If we are to add money back in, where are we going to get it?" Price asked. "This budget is very tight."Councilman Sal Espino said he wants to have a "global, comprehensive discussion on how we fund the arts."The Arts Council is taking aim at the city's self-sustaining culture and tourism fund, funded in part by the hotel tax. The hotel tax revenue is restricted for uses that generate hotel stays and goes to the Will Rogers Memorial Center, the Fort Worth Convention Center and the Convention & Visitors Bureau. The fund has a $10 million surplus above the city's reserve requirements.The Arts Council argues that the arts generate room nights.City officials who manage the fund already have earmarked the surplus for some of $33 million in planned projects, including renovations to old parts of the Convention Center. Kirk Slaughter, the city's public events director, said the facility hosts many of the city's summer conventions, and its age hurts the city's ability to recruit meetings."Clearly, we're upside-down," he told council members Friday, referring to the difference between the fund surplus and projects on the table.Alley mowingA proposed 50 percent cut in alley maintenance, to $332,184, following a 50 percent cut a few years ago, drew questions from Burns and Councilwoman Kelly Allen Gray, both of whom represent central city neighborhoods, where alleys are most common.Gray said the cuts could heighten blight and threaten health and safety."The central city neighborhoods feel the brunt of our reductions," she said."We have these city-owned facilities, and we are responsible for maintaining them," Burns said.Doug Wiersig, the city's transportation and public works director, said the cuts would reduce the number of alley segments mowed to 800 from 1,585 this fiscal year. Some of the alleys will become overgrown, and homeowners and neighborhoods may choose to maintain the others, he said.The city would use crime records to help determine where it would make the most sense to mow, he said.Police and fireCouncil members raised continued concerns over the police and fire departments' stretched resources in far north Fort Worth through the Alliance Corridor.Police have 60 already-budgeted vacancies for officers and are budgeted for three academy classes of a total 90 recruits for fiscal 2013.The academy classes typically generate 18 to 22 graduates out of 30 recruits, Chief Jeffrey Halstead told the council."We will get those positions" next fiscal year, Halstead told the council.A new north-side patrol division based north of Loop 820 is in the city's plans for the next several years, and that would include 196 new officers. The city next year will build a new police and fire training center in south Fort Worth. It will open in phases starting in January 2014.Police Maj. Paul Henderson said those classes in the new center will be able to hold 40 recruits apiece.Sgt. Stephen Hall, president of the Fort Worth Police Officers Association, said the association is frustrated by the speed of the department's expansion."Our main concern is providing quality service to the citizens," he said. "It's very embarrassing to show up at a citizen's front door five to six hours after they call."Scott Nishimura, 817-390-7808Twitter: @JScottNishimuraWhat's the best way for Fort Worth leaders to make ends meet?
Have more to add? News tip? Tell us
