15% pay cuts across the board , starting with the top, sounds about right!

As someone whose husband is and has been a city employee for 11 years, seems to me you all find it real easy to say "cut their pay again" or "lay off those lazy employees." You may be citizens, but frankly you know nothing about the employees. You complain when the fire department or the police can't get to your home or place of business fast enough, but you have not trouble whacking the departments down a little bit more so there are even less and less people to protect ourselves and our property. As for you, noneyuh, you know nothing. I take it you experienced a 10% pay cut, huh? I doubt it. You just don't want any money taken out of your pocket so it is ok for the employees of the city to take it in the wallet instead. Most of you spouting off have no clue as to what the employees do for you. You sit at home, running your dishwashers, flushing your toilets, piling your trash up at the curb, not thinking someone keeps the waste water treatment plants running properly and the garbage truck picking your nasty trash up. You whine about the police, but you have no trouble pulling the rug out from a department already short on officers. When you stupidly catch your house on fire trying to deep fry a turkey, I guess you should get your garden hose out and hope your house doesn't burn down, because your ideas of cutting employees means, it very well might before the firemen can get to your house. You all disgust me as you spout off and are clueless who provides you all the services you take for granted.

How about privatizing the Sanitation department!!!!!!!! That would save millions but weait, it would be Politically Incorrect to buck the union

Clear the top brass in city hall and un-needed take home vehicles for police officers who really do not need them, why would someone who works in a property room need a take home vehicle UNLESS they are the main supervisor. Get rid or CUT some of the top salaries at city hall instead of laying people off.

This doesn't make sense. "He promises he won't cut salaries again to save money." But then, "But things are so challenging now, I'm not going to rule out anything." So which is it, AC? You're speaking with a forked tongue here, talking out of both sides of your mouth. Now what would be best? Cut pay across the board or selectively against the 6-figure rich ones, presuming all current city employees are needed? Or fire some, depriving them and their families of ALL city salary, impoverishing them in a horrid economy in which it is so hard to find a job? This firing cops and firemen threat is a straw dog, to scare the Council into raising taxes, because AC doesn't want city employees grumbling about him and because AC figures Councilpersons are afraid of city employee votes and activism too. And as Mike pointed out at the end, it's up to the Council which way we go on this matter: put city employee pay and benefits first, or put city taxpayers first in this not affluent city in these horrible economic times?

No need for layoffs. Just give everyone (except Police and Fire) a 5%-8% pay cut. Restore the salaries only when the city's finances improve. This worked for FedEx and should work for the city.

Hey Mr Mayor, Why don't you get your directors to get rid of some the excess administrative fluff that is running rampant. Put them back on the streets where they belong? They have cut the FD back to the strength it was years ago, but the excess positions are higher in numbers than ever. Most of them are just resume builder positions.